Intro: BJP-led NDA government has achieved tremendous success in one year in West Bengal. Even the print and electronic media have recognised it through their programmes and write-ups. But the political opponents (CPM) have let lose their sinister campaign in such a manner so that people can be misguided very easily.
Former minister in the Left Front Government and front ranking leader of the party Gautam Deb, has expressed his opinion saying, “CPM should enter into an alliance with the Congress for fighting the forthcoming Assembly election in 2016”. Later Sitaram Yechury, the new Secretary of the CPM had rushed to Kolkata to counter the statement of Gautam Deb and said that there was no such decision on the part of the CPM. All they have decided in the central committee meeting was to keep equidistance with the Congress and the BJP. Why was this unusual hurry on the part of Mr Yechury?
The answer is very simple. Almost at the same time Kerala would also have its Assembly elections and Mr Yechury and his party comrades in Kerala was very much hopeful to capture power in the State defeating the Congress. At this juncture if West Bengal unit of CPM takes a decision to enter into an electoral alliance with Congress then the whole game would be spoiled. So Mr Yechury was duty bound to rush to West Bengal.
For all practical purposes, the proposal of Gautam Deb was uncalled for as this was an open secret that both the CPM and Congress have strong bases in North Bengal districts like Murshidabad, Maldah, North Dinajpur and some parts of Jalpaiguri. In fact in the recent Lok Sabha elections CPM had won two Lok Sabha seats defeating the Congress candidates. These seats are of Raigunj and Murshidabad. Even then if the CPM agrees to propose an electoral alliance with the Congress, will there be any positive response from the Congress? If at all this happens, will that give a positive signal for the cadres belonging to both the parties?
There are many other smaller Left parties which have their own sphere of influence may it be very small in each case. But in sum total it may be of some importance. These parties are CPI (ML), SUCI, Liberation Party, some other smaller parties lying outside the Left Front. They will not extend their support—direct or indirect, to CPM which who has established its ugliest face during the last three and half decades.
Knowing this fully well, why CPM is floating such utopian ideas? For Gautam Deb & Co. it may not register as an out and out utopian idea. But CPM State leadership’s compulsion is to imbibe their devoted but frustrated cadres with new hope behind Kranti Zindabad. Resurrection is the latest slogan they are harping on.
However, even many important leaders of the party are not convinced with the arguments put forward by them. According to them resurrection of this party in the State of West Bengal is an impossible argument put forward by them. But the political observers belonging to Left camp are trying their best to convince the people with certain truths which the general mass may not accept. They say, in the last Parliamentary elections in the State, BJP’s vote-share was 17 per cent. Further according to them “BJP has lost its popularity tremendously in the State” and for that reason BJP may lose a considerable portion of their vote-share (This is a controversial claim on their part). And they have calculated it at least 7 per cent. Further, according to them if that calculation proves to be right then no force on earth can stop the onward journey of Trinamool Congress (TMC).
BJP-led NDA Government has achieved tremendous success in one year in West Bengal. Even the print and electronic media have recognised it through their programmes and write-ups. But the political opponents (CPM) have let lose their sinister campaign in such a manner so that people can be misguided very easily.
BJP has emerged as the only party to counter each and every wrong doing of the ruling party i.e. TMC. Of late, Mamata herself has reduced her virulent attack against the Modi Government. Communists are very efficient in using “misinformation and disinformation” to paint lies as truth through their “whispering campaign”. For now, in West Bengal they are implementing this policy in full swing as they are yet to reconcile their electoral defeat after long 34 years.
Asim Kumar Mitra (The writer is Kolkata based senior journalist)
(July 19, 2015 Page : 38)
