Alarmed by the waning health of the CPI(M) and the Congress and a corresponding surge of the BJP to fill the vacuum created by their gradual exit, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked Trinamool Congress to take preemptive measures against what she called a “looming communal menace.”
Taking quick cognizance of Intelligence reports that there has been a steady proliferation of RSS in the interior areas from where the subaltern Marxist leaders have been forced to flee in the face of massive TMC onslaught leaving a vacuum of sorts the Trinamool supremo have unrolled a “roadmap” to counter the BJP challenge.
In a party brain-storming session on Saturday Chief Minister unfolded a three-pronged strategy to counter the BJP-RSS in the State, senior party leaders said. “She is aware of the increasing activities of the cow-vigilantes and cow-worshippers in villages and has asked the local leaders to keep a strict vigil on such activities,” the leader a State Minister said.
In the first place the party leaders have been asked to hit the streets in a week-long anti-communalism programme from November 3 to November 11. Small meetings and rallies will be held in the regions to highlight the dangers of communalism. The party will take up the issue in parliament in the second place where the Trinamool MPs have been asked to raise their voice against the BJP in the coming Winter Session.
Chief Minister is known to have sounded out the Congress leadership in Delhi. She has exchanged greetings with Rahul Gandhi sources said adding efforts are on to take the Congress also in the fight.
The third strategy will come in the form of a pamphlet war where the party will publish write-ups highlighting its achievements in Singur and other movements besides running an awareness campaign against communalism. Party MP Saugato Roy has been entrusted with the job of publishing booklets to this effect.
Clearly Banerjee does not want the BJP to move up to second position by displacing the left in the November 19 by-elections in Coochbehar and Tamluk lok Sabha and Monteswar Assembly seats.
The BJP is likely to fare well in Coochbehar. The party’s prospects have improved in Tamluk with the likelihood of expelled Marxist strongman and MP laxman Seth joining the saffron outfit.
“The CPI(M) and the Congress have become insignificant and so the BJP is trying to take their place” a Minister and an MlA from South Kolkata said circuitously conceding that a large number of Marxists were taking shelter under BJP banner to evade persecution by the localTMC leaders.
The Chief Minister is particularly perturbed by the number of communal clashes in the industrial belt of North 24 Parganas in the aftermath of Durga Pujas and Muharram.
“The police have been asked to take prompt action if anyone is found provoking disturbance” the leader said.
Notwithstanding, Banerjee’s efforts to counter BJP the CPI(M) and Congress have accused her of maintaining clandestine friendship with the BJP.
“It sounds abnormal to see the Congress and the left leaders’ crossing over to the Trinamool while the BJP leaders are not. The Trinamool is exerting tremendous administrative and criminal pressure on the works of secular parties to join them but they are leaving the BJP so that the saffron outfit grows in strength” said CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakrabarty reminding “after all it is the same Mamata Banerjee who brought BJP to Bengal in 1999 and lived with them till 2008.”
Congress’ OP Mishra said “Mamata Banerjee’s attempt to fight communal forces is eyewash. She can never fight the BJP as most of her leaders’ neck is in BJP-run CBI’s hand. Here she is creating uproar to polarize the vote and consolidate the Muslim vote in her side.”