CPM leader Lakshman Seth sings paeans on Mamata Banerjee, stings comrades

KOLKATA: In an interesting turn of event, disgruntled CPM leader and the party’s Nandigram stalwart Lakshman Seth on Wednesday heaped praise on Mamata Banerjee and criticised his party leadership on various issues. "Now I feel Mamata Banerjee has matured as a political administrator and West Bengal has recovered a lot from its dismal situation. Under her leadership, peace and normalcy have been restored in Jangalmahal.


The Maoists, who used to kill people in the region almost everyday , have now vanished," Seth told a television channel. The former CPM MP from Tamluk is facing several criminal cases, including the missing of six persons from Nandigram during the massacre held in the area in 2007. Seth also praised Mamata for the role she played in Darjeeling.

"Mamata has a lot of guts. She says with conviction that she would not allow any division of Bengal. We could not say this with conviction when we were in power," he said. Taking a barb at the Marxists, Seth said: "The party has given a slogan that says it wants change in policy, not leadership . But the policy does not come from heaven.

I would rather say the policy cannot be changed if there was no change in leadership." His observations on Mamata and the CPM leadership are significant at this stage as the former party MP is considering to snap ties with comrades. Close aides of Seth have indicated on Wednesday that the disgruntled party leader might not renew his membership, the last date of which is March 31. In case, Seth quits the CPM before the polls, the party will suffer politically in East Midnapore district.