Mamata launches anti-CPM front, keeps Cong & BJP out
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched an anti-CPM front in West Bengal comprising 16 parties. She has kept the Congress and the BJP out of this front.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched an anti-CPM front in West Bengal comprising 16 parties. She has kept the Congress and the BJP out of this front. Although the idea of a grand alliance against the CPM is not possible, Ms Banerjee can be expected to do business with the Congress at a later stage.
The BJP will be ally-less in the state as it cannot even seek an entry into the Mamata-led front, which has the Jamiat as an important component.
The formation of the new front comes at a time when components of the ruling Left Front are publicly expressing their unhappiness over the unilateralism of the CPM and the style of functioning of the government. On the Nandigram issue, the RSP and the Forward Bloc have been critical of the chief minister’s handling of the issue.
The new front is certain to be a source of worry for the Left Front as it will challenge the CPM’s hold over the minority votes. Although the state government’s track record on minority-related issues are rated poor, the community has been backing the Left solidly in the past several elections. According to Sachar committee findings Muslim under-representation in government jobs is stark in West Bengal.
In West Bengal which has 25.2% Muslims, their employment share is abysmal 4.2%. The CPM, despite its secular boasts, has not been doing too well in the Muslim-dominated districts. Its organisational weaknesses were exposed in central Bengal’s Muslim-dominated Murshidabad and Malda districts when the electorate backed Left’s political rivals.
In this context, Jamait’s involvement in the new front against the CPM, it is feared, could lead to some changes in the minority politics of the state. The Jamiat recently flexed its muscle right in Kolkata by organising a rowdy protest against Taslima Nasreen.
That the CPM is anticipating trouble from within the Left Front too, was evident when senior party leader Jyoti Basu used harsh words against the RSP and the Forward Bloc.
Coming down heavily on the Bloc and the RSP’s decision to go alone in the upcoming panchayat elections, Mr Basu on Saturday had cautioned that such steps would only weaken the Left Front in the state.
They have spoken of going solo formally. I don’t understand what this means. They are trying to distance themselves from the Left. With this step, the Left Front is in no way becoming more powerful. In fact, this is giving an advantage to the Opposition.”
The BJP will be ally-less in the state as it cannot even seek an entry into the Mamata-led front, which has the Jamiat as an important component.
The formation of the new front comes at a time when components of the ruling Left Front are publicly expressing their unhappiness over the unilateralism of the CPM and the style of functioning of the government. On the Nandigram issue, the RSP and the Forward Bloc have been critical of the chief minister’s handling of the issue.
The new front is certain to be a source of worry for the Left Front as it will challenge the CPM’s hold over the minority votes. Although the state government’s track record on minority-related issues are rated poor, the community has been backing the Left solidly in the past several elections. According to Sachar committee findings Muslim under-representation in government jobs is stark in West Bengal.
In West Bengal which has 25.2% Muslims, their employment share is abysmal 4.2%. The CPM, despite its secular boasts, has not been doing too well in the Muslim-dominated districts. Its organisational weaknesses were exposed in central Bengal’s Muslim-dominated Murshidabad and Malda districts when the electorate backed Left’s political rivals.
In this context, Jamait’s involvement in the new front against the CPM, it is feared, could lead to some changes in the minority politics of the state. The Jamiat recently flexed its muscle right in Kolkata by organising a rowdy protest against Taslima Nasreen.
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That the CPM is anticipating trouble from within the Left Front too, was evident when senior party leader Jyoti Basu used harsh words against the RSP and the Forward Bloc.
Coming down heavily on the Bloc and the RSP’s decision to go alone in the upcoming panchayat elections, Mr Basu on Saturday had cautioned that such steps would only weaken the Left Front in the state.
They have spoken of going solo formally. I don’t understand what this means. They are trying to distance themselves from the Left. With this step, the Left Front is in no way becoming more powerful. In fact, this is giving an advantage to the Opposition.”
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