Mamata Banerjee close to me, certain comments of my party leaders won't affect seat sharing with TMC : Rahul Gandhi

Guwahati: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was "very close" to him.

Clarifying that certain remarks of his party leaders against the Trinamool Congress would not affect seat-sharing talks Mr Gandhi told reporters that talks with Trinamool Congress on seat-sharing in Bengal for the Lok Sabha polls were on.

“Mamata Banerjee is very close to me. Sometimes our leaders say something. Such comments won't affect the ongoing seat sharing talks ," Mr Gandhi said when asked about Mr Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's recent remarks that Congress would contest the Lok Sabha elections without her assistance.

He also said that he had invited West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to join his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra when it would pass through West Bengal and Bihar.

Last week, Mr Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is the state Congress chief, called Mamata Banerjee an "opportunist" after reports emerged that Trinamool was likely to field candidates in all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. “We won't fight the election with Mamata's help. Congress knows how to fight on its own strength, and Mamata Banerjee should remember that it was with Congress's support she came to power in Bengal," he said.