Leaders welcome didi's decision

Statesman News Service

MALDA, ( India) Dec. 8. — The anti-Left political leaders in Malda today responded optimistically to Miss Mamata Banerjee’s willingness to talk with the Congress for anti-Left poll alliance in the coming Assembly elections in this state.
The Malda Trinamul Congress leaders have expressed their happiness over the decision and claimed that the Malda model is perfect to dislodge the Left Front from power.
Miss Mamata Banerjee had adopted the policy to make an alliance with the BJP earlier, after the formation of the English Bazaar Municipality in this district led by the Trinamul and the BJP.
“At that time, we had thought out a way to make an alliance with the BJP just to dislodge the CPI-M and were successful, inspite of the fact that we had no support from the Congress councillors, who were out of the board,” said Mr Krishnendu Chowdhury, president of the district Trinamul Congress.
“Considering the situation, we decided to form the Malda zilla parishad in this district and had united all the anti-Left elected members successfully forming the board for dislodging the CPI-M. The test proved that it is the only way to beat the CPI-M in the state,” Mr Chowdhury said on Thursday.
Mr Chowdhury also claimed that three political parties would have to compromise on seat adjustment, to form a pre-poll alliance against the Communist leaders in this state.
The Communist leaders are always in touch with the Congress leaders in Delhi and are trying to break the anti-Left unity.
Citing an example, the district president said that in the last Assembly elections, had the Malda Congress formulated this ‘adjustment’ system, a different result would have come up in English Bazaar, Old Malda, Manikchak and also Habibpur.
It may be noted, however, that the Malda Congress lost three running seats out of four because the total anti-Left vote was divided among two and three anti-Left parties.
Interestingly, the present sabhadhipati of the MZP, Mr Goutam Chakraborty, who was the sitting MLA in English Bazaar, was defeated because the Trinamul candidate, Mr Krishnendu Chowdhury had contested and bagged over 30,000 votes to win over the CPI-M candidate, Mr Samar Roy.
The main reason being a misunderstanding between Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury and Miss Mamata Banerjee regarding the seat adjustment, sources said.
“Our leader Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury had called “grand alliance” first before the last Assembly elections. He had wanted the Congress to contest in 75 to 80 seats. But, it was made clear that the Congress leaders converting into Trinamul would be getting tickets.
Finally, Mr Choudhury was told that the Trinamul Congress would distribute rest of the seats according to its choice, even those seats who were offered to the BJP. But, unfortunately it did not materialise,” said Mr Goutam Chakraborty, the sabhadhipati, of MZP.
“I am hopeful that poll alliance with seat adjustment for the coming Assembly elections is the only way to dislodge the CPI-M from power. I always tell the other Congress leaders in South Bengal to plan out as per the model of the Malda Zilla Parishad, where we were united to dislodge the Left Front with the support of the Trinamul and the BJP,” Mr Chakraborty disclosed.
“But one thing is important about the formation of an anti-Left poll alliance considering the situation of national level politics and only three Congress leaders Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi and Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, if they are united can take this decision,” Mr Chakraborty informed.
The district Trinamul Congress president is optimistic about his present relation with the Congress veteran leader, Mr ABA Khan Choudhury, despite protest from the BJP and a Trinamul faction, the Malda BJP, official partner of the Trinamul Congress, had already sought support from the Congress citing the example of Malda model.
“The state BJP president, Mr Tathagata Roy, had already adopted a decision to welcome the Congress in the state to dislodge the CPI-M. This decision was taken recently at a state working committee meeting held in Malda,” said Mr Asim Chakraborty , the general secretary.
Both the BJP and the Trinamul Congress camps believe that even with indirect support of the Malda Congress, the anti-Left forces will retain at least three seats like Habibpur, Old Malda and the English Bazaar. #