Left-Cong-ISF Sanyukta Morcha kick-starts Bengal poll campaign

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28

Sitaram Yechury, CPM general secretary, on Sunday said Mamata Banerjee would tie up with the BJP in case no clear-cut winner emerged in West Bengal after Assembly elections results.

Addressing a massive rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Ground, Yechury said Mamata had collaborated with the BJP in the past too and remained minister in BJP-led Central government.

Hinting at the view expressed from certain quarters that in case of a hung assembly, the Congress and CPM might be forced to back Mamata to keep BJP at bay, Yechury said in such a situation Mamata and BJP would join hands as they did in the past.

The CPM leader said to defeat the BJP at the Centre, it was necessary to defeat the TMC in West Bengal.

The rally by “Sanyukta Morcha” comprising Left-Congress and Indian Secular Front (ISF), floated by Abbas Siddiqui, cleric of Furfura Sharif shrine near Kolkata, was also attended by Bhupesh Baghel, Congress leader and Chhattisgarh CM, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha and also WBPCC chief, D Raja of the CPI and others.

Chowdhury said the Assembly polls would be fought between two forces —Sanyukta Morcha on one side and the Mamata-BJP combine on the other.

D Raja said Bengalis historically had the reputation of showing way to the rest of India. They should do it again by ensuring the defeat of the BJP and TMC in Bengal, he added.

Siddiqui’s speech raises eyebrows

Kolkata, February 28

The impressive rally by Sanyukta Morcha also ironically exposed the cracks in the alliance when ISF leader Abbas Siddiqui singled out Left Front candidates for backing by his supporters in the Assembly polls in Bengal.

The cleric made no such appeal to his supporters about candidates of the Congress.

Addressing the crowd, Siddiqui said, “You may be curious to know why I did not ask you to vote for Congress. This is because I want our rightful share. I am not asking for charity from anyone.”

Quoting BR Ambedkar, Abbasi said one must assert one’s right and not “beg” for it. Cong’s Abdul Mannan, who was entrusted the job of carrying out negotiation with Siddiqui on seat-sharing, was conspicuous by his absence at the rally. — TNS