Comparing Mamata's attitude with Kejriwal, Soren’s loyalty to INDIA bloc: Cong, CPI(M) take common line

Kolkata: The Congress and CPI(M) seem to have adopted a uniform campaign line in West Bengal to establish their theories on a “clandestine understanding” between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

The narrative lies in comparing the approach of West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, towards the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, as against that of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand’s ex-CM Hemant Soren.

Of late, both the CPI(M) politburo member and the party’s state Secretary, M Salim and the Congress’ state President, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have started speaking a common line.

They are stressing that while Mamata Banerjee severed ties with the bloc midway, both Kejriwal and Soren are currently paying the price for being loyal to the alliance and are languishing behind bars because of it.

Both Salim and Chowdhury are giving a subtle indication that probably Mamata Banerjee quit the INDIA bloc to protect her near and dear ones from the clutches of central agencies.

While Salim has restricted his diatribe against the Chief Minister to this, Chowdhury has gone a step ahead and is claiming that she “betrayed the bloc to please the BJP” by unanimously fielding Trinamool Congress candidates in all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal.

In fact, the CPI(M) since the beginning of the formation of the INDIA bloc had been expressing doubts on how long the Trinamool Congress would continue with it.

In fact, in January this year after Mamata Banerjee made it clear that the Trinamool Congress would go it alone in West Bengal, the CPI(M)’s Dr Surya Kanta Mishra said that the longevity of Trinamool Congress’ participation in the Opposition bloc was doubtful since the beginning.

However, unlike the CPI(M) the Congress’ central leadership had maintained a soft stand towards the Trinamool Congress, till it announced candidates for all 42 constituencies last month.

After that, both Congress and CPI(M) have adopted the same line in attacking Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee.