Congress MP Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury said on Tuesday that his party would help the Trinamul Congress form the government in Bengal if the election verdict threw up a hung Assembly.

The Malda South MP has, however, done a volte face after he was reprimanded for such remarks by state Congress leaders. Abu Hasem later said the Congress would maintain “equal distance” from Trinamul and the BJP.

“The BJP has been trying to implement its agenda in Bengal like it did in Uttar Pradesh and some other states. But its plan will not be successful. Bengal wants industry and employment. If there is a hung House, we would support Trinamul to keep the BJP away from power,” said Abu Hasem.

He explained that a pre-poll alliance with Trinamul was not possible because the state’s ruling party misbehaved with the Congress and started humiliating Congress workers while running the state government together.

“Even then, I prefer to support Trinamul for the sake of preserving harmony in the state,” the Congress leader added.

Krishnendu Choudhury, the chairman of Malda district Trinamul, said: “The Congress cannot support the BJP in case there is no clear verdict. So, whether they like or not, the Congress has to support us.”

The Left leaders, on the other hand, sounded peeved.

“Trinamul and the BJP are like two faces of one coin. There is no question of supporting Trinamul under any circumstances,” said CPM’s state committee member Ambar Mitra.

As the Congress MP’s remarks sparked a controversy, sources said, he was summoned to the neighbouring district of Murshidabad by PCC chief Adhir Chowdhury.

After his return, Khan Choudhury did a volte face and issued a written statement, saying his “statement was taken out of context and twisted in the media and social media”.

“I urge all concerned not to get misled by unsubstantiated rumours and get the candidates fielded by secular Congress, Left and ISF elected from all constituencies,” his statement said.

Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya on Tuesday wrote to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, requesting them to refrain from campaigning for Trinamul in Bengal.

“We are in alliance with the NCP and the RJD in two different states. However, we are fighting against Mamata Banerjee in Bengal. If the two leaders come to campaign for her, it would send a wrong message to our party workers here,” Bhattacharya told The Telegraph.

Trinamul sources have said Tejashwi and Pawar might come to Bengal to campaign for Mamata, along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.