CPM workers throng Congress rally in Kolkata

KOLKATA: Even though the CPM central committee has not directly sought to forge an electoral alliance with the Congress in Bengal, hundreds of CPM workers attended a rally organised by the state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Kolkata on Monday, sparking off talks of the coming together of the two parties.

“CPM workers have come to our rally because an alliance between the two parties in rural Bengal is complete. This alliance will topple the Mamata government,” asserted Chowdhury.Chowdhury had organised the event to protest against the kidnapping of a CPM-backed independent councillor of Kandi municipality in his stronghold Murshidabad.

Trinamool Congress had brought a no-confidence move against the Congress-run Kandi municipality and the ruling party had won the motion as they got 9 votes in the 18-member civic body, while Congress managed 8.

In another development, some Congress leaders opposed the move by a section of party leaders to forge ties with CPM. A Congress leader told ET that “Chowdhury is seeking alliance with CPM to secure assembly seats in Murshidabad. He is not interested in the overall performance of Congress, and is only focusing on Murshidabad”.

The state Congress has, however, expelled two of its leaders for opposing the alliance.