West Bengal polls: Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad to campaign for us, says CPM

KOLKATA: Bengal CPM on Monday claimed that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Lalu Prasad will campaign for them in this assembly elections. “Mamata Banerjee had attended Nitish Kumar's oath-taking ceremony . She also sent birthday wishes to Nitish Kumar. But Kumar and Laloo Prasad Ji are coming to Bengal to campaign for us,“ CPIM state secretary and party's polit bureau member Surjya Kanta Mishra told an election meeting in West Midnapore on Monday .
Mishra's announcement on Monday has virtually sealed Mamata Banerjee's plan to woo Hindi-speaking votes by bringing Kumar and Jadav to campaign for her party .

Mishra also said that “both Kumar and Jadav want to strengthen antiBJP democratic forces across the country . In Bengal, they are supporting the Left parties and Congress which are fighting jointly this year's assembly elections against both the BJP and Trinamool Congress.Naturally , the Bihar chief minister and Laloo Prasad Jadav are coming to Bengal to campaign for us and to urge people to vote against Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress which is involved in all sorts of corrupt practices.“

Mishra announced this at a time when a news website aired a sting operation showing at least half a dozen Trinamool Congress MPs, leaders and a former minister currently in jail, had been receiving money .

The ruling Trinamool Congress has been trying to convince both Kumar and Jadav to come to Bengal to campaign for them. Trinamool had a plan to take help of Kumar and Jadav to woo Hindi-speaking population. But Mishra's announcement on Monday has apparently blocked Mamata's plan to get support from her Bihar counterpart and Laloo Prasad Jadav .

In fact, the JD (U) and RJD are holding talks with the CPIM-led Left Front and Congress to contest a few seats in this year's assembly polls.The CPIM has decided to give the Bhatpara assembly seat in North 24-parganas district to RJD. Some CPIM workers from Bhatpara had opposed this and held a demonstration at the CPIM headquarters on Alimuddin Street a few days back.But talks are on with the JD (U) which might contest six seats in this year's assembly election along with CPIM and Congress.