Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has summoned senior Bengal party leaders on February 1 for discussions on possible electoral alliances, inside sources said.
The development comes days after the left leadership made circuitous offers for an anti-Trinamool Congress grand alliance of like-minded parties in the coming Assembly elections.
“The leaders have been called 10.30 in the morning and a communication to this effect has been made to us from our central leader PC Joshi’s office,” Manas Bhunia a former Pradesh Congress president said.
Those called for discussions by Gandhi are present State party chief Adhir Chowdhury, his predecessors Somen Mitra, Pradip Bhattacharya, Malda MP AH Khan Chowdhury, former Raiganj MP Deepa Dasmunshi, Congress legislature Party leader Md Sohrab and senior party leaders OP Mishra and Abdul Mannan, sources said.
The summons from Akbar Road come at a time when the Pradesh Congress looks vertically divided over the question of forming an alliance with the left parties a traditional political adversary which was dislodged by the Marxists in 1977 before coming to power and ruling the State for more than three decades.
“Though no agenda has been given it is not unlikely that discussion on elections will be held and if such discussions are held then talks of alliance may crop up” Bhunia a strong oppose of any kind of adjustment with the left said adding however that he would abide by whatever decision is taken by the high command.
“If I am asked to give my opinion I will tell Mr Gandhi that the situation in Bengal is dangerous and there is a need to fight against the Trinamool’s autocratic rule under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi” he said. He had earlier proposed an “ekla chalo” policy in the polls which in all likelihood will go in favour of the Trinamool, experts say.
Among the strong supporters of alliance are senior PCC leaders like Somen Mitra, Abdul Mannan, OP Mishra, while leaders like AH Khan Chowdhury, Dasmunshi, Bhattacharya also a Rajya Sabha MP has remained neutral.
“We have all along fought against the left. But those were the days we could at least raise our voices but now we are gagged and if we raise our voice we will be jailed or killed,” Mitra a party veteran of the pre-Emergency said adding the “left at the best can ditch us but the Trinamool will decimate us in Bengal.”
Adhir Chwodhury said “irrespective of what we say the people have already formed an alliance which is very much visible when we go to regions and are asked by the people to go with the left.” Mannan said “there is a demand from the rank and file and that demand should be honoured or else the Congress will have to pay a heavy price in future.”