Trouncing Trinamool a must to stunt BJP's growth in Bengal: CPI(M)

Kolkata, Oct 13 (IANS) It is impossible to arrest BJP's growth in West Bengal without uprooting the ruling Trinamool Congress, the CPI(M) has said, adding that the other constituents of the grand opposition I.N.D.I.A. block should understand this ground reality.

In an article penned at the annual festival edition of the party's organ in Bengal, the CPI(M) politburo member and the party's state secretary in West Bengal Md Salim said that since Trinamool Congress has been instrumental in helping BJP strengthening its foothold here, there is an urgent necessity to defeat the ruling party of the state.

"There is a necessity to make the anti-BJP forces in the country aware of the ground realities in West Bengal, where Trinamool Congress, since its inception, is a 'potential ally' of the BJP. Now they are just 'estranged allies'. However, there is every possibility that the two will turn into 'potential allies' in future," he said.

In his article Salim has also clarified that there is no question of a fixed national level seat sharing agreement among the anti-BJP allies keeping the West Bengal perspective in mind.

"Different political parties might have their political compulsions. But a fixed national level seat-sharing is neither possible nor realistic. The necessity is to adopt state-specific strategies keeping in mind the ground realities of the state concerned," Salim added.

Political observers feel that Salim’s article is a reflection of the general sentiment of the grassroots level CPI(M) activists and dyed-in-the-wool party loyalists and their growing grievances over the CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury being caught in the same frame with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

"At the same time, this article by Salim can also be described as an extension of the party's politburo's decision on not sending any representative in the coordination committee of the I.N.D.I.A. block, where Abhishek Banerjee is a member," said a city-based political observer.

Trinamool Congress spokesman Kunal Ghosh claimed that the article is a clear proof on who is actually trying to benefit BJP in West Bengal. "CPI(M)’s only aim is to benefit the saffron camp in the state by dividing the anti-BJP votes. Precisely that is why they have turned into a zero in the state," he added.