West Bengal results: Trinamool and BJP had tacit understanding in polls: CPI(M)

KOLKATA: Suffering heavy defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra today alleged there was a tacit understanding between the BJP and Trinamool Congress and the party will continue its fight for democracy and rights of the people.

"We accept people's mandate and thank them for their support despite the threats... But, we will continue our fight for establishment of democracy and rights of the people. Defeat must not be treated as retreat... the defeat has given a new strength to us," Mishra told a press conference here.

Responding to a question on whether the Left Front-Congress alliance had failed, the CPI(M) Politburo member said "I do not think so. To understand the reason, we need to do a deep assessment of the results.

"It's quite clear that the BJP and TMC had an understanding in at least 10-12 seats. Out of the seats (where this understanding happened), Kharagpur is one ... in some seats TMC has voted for the BJP, while BJP voted for the TMC," Mishra said.

Asked whether he would resign as the party's state secretary after such a debacle in the elections, he said, "In our party we do not decide on taking or giving up posts...It's the party which takes a call on this."

On whether the CPI(M)'s 'corruption' campaign against the Trinamool Congress had failed, Mishra said, "I will keep on saying that democracy has been attacked here and that the state is facing a big danger in the coming days. The BJP-TMC understanding is a new danger for the state."

Commenting on his own defeat, the CPI(M) leader said "Loss is always a loss."