Congress ready for political cooperation in Bengal with CPM

KOLKATA: The CPM in Bengal is in a quandary over its alliance with the Congress after the recent drubbing in the assembly elections. What has made matters worse are the signals it got from the politburo and central committee meetings.

The politburo said the alliance with the Congress in Bengal was not in consonance with its decision, while the central committee meeting asked the party to rectify its position in Bengal.

But while the Communists are in a fix, its alliance partner Congress seems to have no hesitation in maintaining an ‘understanding’. Adhir Chowdhury, president of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, in fact reiterated that the alliance will not die a natural death, and said the Congress is sticking to its commitment. "We have not allied with the central leaders of the Communist Party or with the constituents of the Left Front. We forged an electoral pact with the CPM in Bengal. It wasn’t possible for either parties to combat Trinamool alone. We fought as a united Opposition, and it will continue," he said.

Chowdhury also said that Congress did not receive any intimation from senior CPM leaders about snapping their electoral alliance.

However, the central committee insisted that the alliance with Congress has to be ‘rectified’ in Bengal. Taking the hint, the CPM has announced programmes without Congress. Senior Congress leaders, however, hinted that CPM’s failure to improve its position in the election is the main reason behind its ‘sudden apathy’ towards Congress.

"The leaders from Delhi are saying several things, but the workers of both parties are working together," said Abdul Mannan, leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.