'Mamata very much needed': Congress' conciliatory note over TMC dissent

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Thursday said the party is hopeful of finding a solution to the seat-sharing impasse with the TMC, a day after its supremo Mamata Banerjee made a surprise announcement of going solo in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.

Ramesh, while speaking to reporters at the Bagdogra airport here, maintained that the Congress cannot think of an INDIA bloc without Banerjee, as she is indispensable in the fight against the BJP in the country.

"We all want Mamata Banerjee to be a part of the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' as our motto is common... If we want to defeat the BJP in Bengal and India, she is very much needed. Our leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have immense respect for Mamata ji," he said.

"I don't want to make any running commentary on seat-sharing, but we want this impasse to end and we will find a solution," he added.