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WB State Congress unsure, but Left hails Didi
C S BHATTACHARJEE | Kolkata, September 19, 2012 17:10
Tags : TMC | Trinamool Congress | TMC Congress rift | Mamata Banerjee | TMC support UPA |
Tags : TMC | Trinamool Congress | TMC Congress rift | Mamata Banerjee | TMC support UPA |
Mamata Banerjee’s decision to withdraw support from UPA II has been welcomed by people in general. Though the decision is unlikely to have any direct repercussions in West Bengal state politics, there are questions being raised about the continuation of the Congress ministers in the state cabinet.Sources in the state Congress unit said that the party is sharply divided over pulling-out from Mamata cabinet as some of the ministers have expressed discomfort in sharing benches with the Left Front in the assembly.
State Congress Vice President and senior leader Prof. Om Prakash Mishra said, “It is too early to comment as she has not yet taken any stand. If she formally withdraws support as declared, then she will be responsible for breaking the alliance.”
“We too are against hike in diesel prices and have urged the Prime Minister to reconsider it. We hope the centre reconsiders its decision,” he added.
In fact, the state Congress had sent a proposal to party President Sonia Gandhi a few months ago seeking approval to pull out its ministers from the state cabinet. PCC President Pradip Bhattacharya has been summoned to Delhi and a decision on the issue is likely within the next two days.
However, Kolkata's middle class seems to be welcoming Mamata’s decision to withdraw support from the UPA. They allege that the Centre’s decision was unilateral and that it failed to follow the coalition dharma.
“People are reeling under high rate of food prices and recent hike in diesel prices will further shoot the prices. The private buses, mini buses are already off the roads and truckers under the banner of All India Motor Transport Congress, are joining indefinite strike to protest against rise in fuel prices. Mamata’s decision is not intentional, rather she was forced to take such harsh step,” said Nilmadhab Sen, staff of a inter-state transporter.
Belying expectations, CPI state secretariat member and state AITUC president Debasish Datta has also ‘welcomed’ Mamata’s decision.
“Politics and political differences can be settled later. She has to act in the interest of the people of the state and she has hardly any option left with her. Now, it is for the Congress to decide whether their ministers in Mamata’s cabinet will continue or quit. I have heard that Congress ministers are not attending their offices at Writers buildings from today,” said Debasish Datta.
However, Datta appealed to the chief minister to desist from use of force against the bandh called by the left parties.
“Thursday’s Bandh is not Bangla Bandh, it is Bharat Bandh, by several political parties — Left, non-Left, NDA partners and UPA partners, including small traders and transport operators. We want a peaceful protest and hope forces will not be used by the Government…”
CPM leader and Left Front Chairman Biman Bose too urged Mamata to refrain from opposing the September 20 Bandh. “Why wait for Friday? Is it another drama to settle ‘untold’ issues?” questioned the CPM, indicating towards Mamata's announcement that TMC ministers in the Union Cabinet will resign on Friday.
CPI State secretary Manjukumar Majumder and RSP state secretary Kshiti Goswamy reiterated Bose’s stand and said, “We will keep a watch on TMC’s stand on Bandh as well as her decision to pull out of UPA.”
However, according to sources in Forward Bloc, the TMC and Mamata Banerjee are only “buying time” by delaying their resignations. They contend that the TMC is only indulging in arm-twisting the Centre to derive some benefits.
A senior-level executive of Coal India, who knows Mamata Banerjee for decades, told TSI, “The positive changes will be seen is the non-performing ministers will be out of Cabinet. Mamata herself has said that she (read Railway Minister Mukul Roy) has nothing further to gift Bengal more than what she has already given. None of her ministers were attending Union Cabinet meetings and just using their post for party development. This will be stopped.”
Kolkata-based political analyst Soumitra Bose views Mamata's decision as a “master stroke” to cripple the Congress ahead of the Panchayat elections due in 2013. “She wants to erase Congress from the state,” said Soumitra.
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Posted By: A BANERJEE | Chennai | September 20th 2012 | 06:09 I am not sure if your correspondent is right in reporting that, "....state Congress unit said that the party is sharply divided over pulling-out from Mamata cabinet as some of the ministers have expressed discomfort in sharing benches with the Left Front in the assembly", since the CPI(M) is undoubtedly a very active though secret partner in the gains of the Congress party.
Right from the days of Indira Gandhi, with as many factions as the number of active members of the WB Congress, the central govt. (or, the Congress (I) in power then, under Indira) had no faith or trust in the state unit’s credibility at all. In fact. Indira Gandhi secretly favoured the Left in power in WB considering its impact on the feuding factions in her party and the sensitivity of the border state—especially after the Bangla Desh event.
I think, it may not be a master stroke as is made to believe, as the political groupings in West Bengal are more dictated by pecuniary interests than purely political considerations which, of course, originate from economic/financial objectives — of course, as is the story of Indian politics right from the moment of expulsion and banishment of Subhash Bose from the Congress party.
I am afraid, the people from this state have lost all credibility with this repeat of the so calle "master stroke†of "the leader†!
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Issue Dated: Feb 5, 2017
