CPI(M) and Congress Face-Off Over Proposed Alliance

CPI(M) – Congress leaders in West Bengal indulge in a war of words over CPI(M)‘s call for an alliance to Congress.

Supporters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) attend a public rally in Agartala on January 29, 2012. (Photo: Reuters) 

Senior Congress leader Manas Bhuniya took a dig at CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra for his call to the Congress to join hands to fight Trinamool Congress and BJP in the coming West Bengal Assembly polls, saying such things are not done from a public meeting.

<p>Surjya Kanta Mishra and Sitaram Yechury should know how an alliance is made, there is a proper way to do it.</p>

<b>Manas Bhuniya, Congress Leader</b>

Reacting to Mishra’s call to Congress to join an alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Front for the coming Assembly elections in West Bengal at a public meeting on Sunday.

<p>If he is so anxious to join hands with the Congress to throw out TMC, then his party should come up with a proposal through a proper channel. Is it done from a public meeting?</p>

<b>Manas Bhuniya, Congress Leader on Sunday</b>

The former West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president has said that decisions such as these will be taken by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) under the leadership of party president Sonia Gandhi.

“My opinion is that Congress should fight the elections alone and should not play second fiddle to some other party in the state,” Bhuniya said.

It was under Bhuniya’s WBPCC presidentship that the Congress had fought the last Assembly polls in the state in alliance with TMC and had joined the government till relations soured the tie-up and it broke in late 2012.

<p>Congress had joined hands with TMC in 2011 to remove the (Left Front) government of 34 years, and despite her negative points, people of Bengal had accepted Mamata Banerjee as a leader. </p>

<b>Manas Bhuniya, Congress Leader</b>

Mishra compared the presence of Trinamool in West Bengal with the presence of BJP in India. To save Bengal and the country, Mishra said, TMC and BJP have to be thrown out.

<p>We have two slogans – throw out Trinamool to save Bengal and throw out BJP to save the country. If you share the same slogans, then say yes (to an alliance).</p>

<b>Surjya Kanta Mishra, CPI(M) State Secretary to Congress</b>

Political circles in the state are rife with speculations over a possible alliance between the Congress and the Left Front to fight the TMC in the coming elections as CPI(M) leaders are sending out vibes to the Congress for a tie-up.