Desperate to see the back of a “fiercely vicious regime unleashed by the Mamata Banerjee Government,” the Bengal Congress leaders on Thursday welcomed the CPI(M) central committee’s decision to promote a secular democratic alliance to oust the ruling Trinamool Congress from power in the coming Assembly elections.
Senior PCC leader and one of the vocal advocates of a left-Congress Abdul Mannan said “we sincerely welcome the CPI(M) central committee’s decision and feel that this will go a great distance to oust the oppressive and corrupt regime run by Mamata Banerjee in Bengal.”
On whether the Congress would now come forward with a similar gesture as the CPI(M) had already done its bit, Mannan said like the CPI(M)’s central committee the Congress also has to depend upon its high command for such decisions and hoped “our party will also take into consideration of the popular mood in the State and the mood of the party rank and file before taking any decision.”
He added: “since the Congress high command has not said a word against a possible alliance with the left Front we can hope that our party will also take a positive decision.”
Another AICC leader and senior Congress man OP Mishra also “welcome the CPI(M) central committee’s decision” adding “we have already briefed our party high command about the prevailing situation in the State and the prevailing mood of the people who want a broad-based alliance with the left so that the Trinamool can be shown the door. We expect our national leadership to come out with a decision soon.”
Both PCC president Adhir Chowdhury and CPI(M) central committee member Gautam Deb who had been uncharacteristically vociferous in the central committee in favour of an allance also spoke in identical voices.
“The people down there are not waiting for their leaders’ decision. They have already started taking their decisions and the alliance is being formalised at the ground level with our panchayat level leaderships backing each other in formation of boards” said Chowdhury.
In Murshidabad’s Kandi panchayat the Congress on Tuesday withdrew its support from the Trinamool and backed the left. In the 23-member house the left has 9 seats while the Congress has six and the Trinamool five seats with remaining three being Independents.
Similar alliances were being struck at various places like Nadia, Coochbehar, and Malda, sources said.
According to a senior PCC member in case of a left-Congress alliance the Trinamool was not likely to get even four seats out of 76 in North to Central Bengal spanning eight districts. In southern Bengal the Trinamool was in a better position, particularly in East Midnapore, two 24 Parganas, Birbhum, Nadia and Hooghly.
Even in these places the left and the Congress has the capability of putting up a good fight in places like Nadia, South 24 Parganas and Burdwan.
“Even if we go by the 2014 general elections when the polls were rigged in many places the Alliance and the Trinamool may get equal amount of votes. By the 2014 standards the Congress and the left have 10 per cent and 30 per cent vote share whereas the Trinamool has 39.5 per cent.