The Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance or INDIA on Thursday received a setback at least in Bengal after the State Chief Minister virtually ruled out any possibility of a pre-poll alliance with either the Left or the Congress.

She said, “INDIA is a vibrant force and it will very much stay and work all over the country … but in Bengal only TMC will contest against the BJP because only we can defeat them.”

Accusing the Left and the Congress of forging alliance with the BJP, Banerjee said, “if there is any party that can fight the BJP it is the TMC and we will lead the fight in Bengal … The CPI(M), BJP, and the Congress have forged an alliance in Bengal and are actively campaigning against us … this is the reason INDIA will take on the BJP nationwide, but here the TMC will fight the battle.”

While the Left had already ruled out any kind of alliance with the Trinamool Congress in Bengal, the State Congress had left  it all on the national leadership but asked for at least 6 seats if at all the two parties were to fight together in the State.

According to sources a team of Adhir Chowdhury, Deepa Dasmunshi, AH Khan Chowdhury, Shankar Malakar and Nepal Mahato had earlier told the Congress national leadership that the Pradesh Congress which had all these years been fighting against the alleged TMC misrule would fight together with them for the sake of INDIA alliance provided the ruling party left them six seats of Malda North and South, Darjeeling, Behrampore, Murshidabad and Purulia.

Subsequently AH Khan Chowdhury on Wednesday claimed that the TMC had agreed to leave only Malda South and Behrampore seats which are presently held by the Congress.