TNN, New Delhi :While leaders swore at each other in public, there was speculation of a last-minute ‘jote’ between once alliance Congress and Trinamool Congress that Pradesh Congress leaders opposed but didn’t rule out. Congress president Sonia Gandhi put the rumour to rest on Friday while taking stock of the Bengal scene with the new Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury.The ‘jote’ talks didn’t mature because the Trinamool Congress this time isn’t interested in the alliance. Congress on the other hand, was testing waters in early December, 2013, about the possibility of an alliance. Union health minister and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had a one-on-one discussion with Mamata Banerjee on two occasions, once at Nabanna and then at a programme held at the Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital, that ended without a direction. Later, Mamata firmed up her decision to go it alone and announced it at the meeting held at the Brigade Parade Grounds.However, Pradesh Congress leaders such as Adhir Chowdhury and Manas Bhuiyan have been consistently arguing against the alliance on the ground that a ‘jote’ on Trinamool terms will put the existence of Congress at stake in Bengal. Chowdhury conveyed the view of the Pradesh Congress to the Congress president in the meeting held in Delhi on Friday.”I met Sonia Gandhi today. She took stock of the Bengal situation and asked about candidates, the party organization. I submitted a list of 17 names to her as probable candidates and took a week’s time from Soniaji to submit the list of the rest.
