With Bengal Assembly elections just about six-seven months away the Congress has started toying with the idea of befriending once - Trinamool Congress number two Mukul Roy, Pradesh Congress, sources say.
According to a senior PCC member party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has individually spoken to most of the senior State leaders to seek their opinion over striking an alliance with Roy who has reportedly floated a political party of his own.
Though Roy himself remained non-committal saying a few weeks ago that he was “still a Trinamool MP” his closest associates like Amitava Majumdar floated a new party called All India Nationalist Trinamool Congress headquartered at Coochbehar district in North Bengal where the Trinamool has a weaker organisational strength network.
“Rahulji has spoken to many of us about the prospect of striking an alliance with Roy and there seems to be an unanimity about the proposal,” said the PCC member, adding, however, that Roy would have to first openly own up the new party.
There were two set of theories in the Congress said, the leader. “First befriend Mukul and second directly induct him in the party as he has tremendous organisational capacity and booth-to-booth contact with many Trinamool workers.”
The Mukul backers want him not only for his organisational capacity but also his excellent rapport with a large number of minority leaders and Maulanas including Twaha Siddiqui of the Furfura Sharief and the Imam of Nakhoda mosque.
Roy himself had a few days told reporters that the condition in Bengal was “suffocating” and that some kind of “relief” was needed from that choking atmosphere. Though he would not elaborate, sources close to him, said that he was talking of a “second parivartan.”
Roy had earlier met Rahul Gandhi on several occasions and reportedly requested for a place in the Congress party. He had met “our party vice president and expressed his desire to join the Congress. His appeal to join the party is pending with the high command,” PCC president Adhir Chowdhury had earlier said.
There is also a third sect in the Congress that wants to keep Roy away for the time being “until he is cleared off the charges levelled against him in the Saradha chit fund case.” This group led by senior party leader Abdul Mannan and Arunabha Ghosh wants a direct alliance with the left Front.
In fact, Mannan is one of the petitioners in the PIl seeking CBI investigation in the multi-crore chit fund scam.
Sources said Roy was going to take his final decision on whether he is a part of the new outfit within a couple of weeks after the festival seasons are over.
“Things will be decided after he takes the final call. But for now there is no problem in the Congress over any kind of alliance with him” said the PCC leader who is also a former State party president.