Trinamool Congress and BJP are trying to forge close ties before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and have a "secret understanding" for the Howrah Lok Sabha bypoll on June 2, Congress today said.
Repeating what CPI-M leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had alleged a few days earlier, Union minister Deepa Dasmunsi said, "The Howrah bypoll has proved that BJP and Trinamool are trying to reach an agreement before the 2014 polls."
"The TMC is having a secret understanding with BJP and we are sure that they will be part of NDA in 2014," Dasmunshi said, addressing a road show here.
BJP's opting out of the race and BJP state president Rahul Sinha's appeal to the voters to vote against Congress and the Left have been interpreted here as a signal to get close to TMC before 2014.
