Integrity Score 802
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The images of Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee being received and seen off by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi with Namaste at the Congress President's 10 Janpath residence in Delhi on July 28 had ignited among the Opposition parties a hope of a long-term unity to take on the might of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
But that hope seems to have been shattered within just two months as the two parties openly sparred on Twitter on Friday.
It all started with a tweet by political strategist Prashant Kishor, who sometime ago was tipped by a section of the media to join the Congress in a senior position.
His jibe at the Congress, also known as the Grand Old Party (GOP), put a lid on all those speculation.
"People looking for a quick, spontaneous revival of GOP led opposition based on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident are setting themselves up for a big disappointment," Kishor tweeted.
The reference was to the Congress party's outreach to victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in Uttar Pradesh.
This prompted a sharp retort from senior Congress leader and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who took it to a step ahead by attacking Mamata Banerjee over her defeat in Nandigram in this year's assembly elections in West Bengal.
"People looking for a "national" alternative based on poaching INC functionaries who can't win even their seats is in for a big disappointment. Unfortunately, to become a national alternative deep-rooted and concerted efforts are needed and there are no quick-fix solutions," he tweeted.
This triggered a sharp rebuke from the Trinamool Congress.
"Rich words coming from a first-time CM. Punching above your weight doesn't bring honour to you, Mr.@bhupeshbaghel.What a shoddy attempt to please the high command! By the way, is INCIndiagoing to try to erase the historical defeat at Amethi through yet another Twitter Trend?" the TMC hit back, referring to Rahul Gandhi's defeat at the hands of Union Minister Smriti Irani from Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The bonhomie appears to have ended and the Opposition unity seems to be dead at least for now.