Kolkata: West Bengal CPI(M) secretary Surya Kanta Mishra has described Mamata Banerjee’s TMC as the “Trojan horse of BJP” in the opposition camp and urged the people to vote for the strongest Congress or Left Front candidates to defeat the TMC and the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections in Bengal.
He conceded that it would have been better if the seat sharing deal between the CPI(M) and the Congress in the state was clinched as it would have ensured maximum pooling of anti-BJP and anti-TMC votes.
The CPI-M veteran said the last five years of the BJP government has been a “complete disaster” for the country and the people. “The very future of the secular democratic republic as enshrined in our Constitution is at stake under the Modi government”.
Mr Mishra, also CPI-M Politburo member, told PTI in an interview, “We wanted to ensure maximum pooling of anti-BJP and anti-TMC votes in the state. That is why we had tried for seat sharing and a no mutual contest in six Lok Sabha seats which the Congress and the CPI(M) had won last time. But it did not happen.
“I don’t want to enter into a blame game with the Congress. It is for people to decide why it (seat sharing) did not happen,” he said.
His comments come in the backdrop of the falling through of the proposed seat sharing deal between the Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front after the former accused the LF major of not following the ‘alliance dharma’ and being more keen on a short term seat sharing in the state.
The CPI(M) had, on the other hand, accused the Congress of not being serious about the deal.
“The purpose is to defeat the BJP and the TMC and maximize anti-BJP and anti-TMC votes. Let us (CPI-M and Congress) not find fault with each other. The call is very clear - if you see that a Congress candidate can defeat the TMC and the BJP nominees in your constituency, then you vote for the Congress. But if you feel that the Left can defeat the TMC and the BJP candidates (in a certain seat), then vote for the Left,” he said.
Both the parties are now contesting in 40 seats each. The state has a total 42 seats, elections to which will be held in seven phases.
The CPI(M) and the Congress had entered into a seat sharing deal in 2016 assembly poll against the TMC but failed to dislodge it from power.
Asked about the reason behind the failure of the Congress-CPI(M) seat sharing deal this time, Mr Mishra declined to blame anyone and said his party does not consider Congress to be its “political enemy” as it is neither in power in the state nor at the Centre.
Stating that the CPI(M) was never in favour of an alliance with the Congress and was only interested in having a seat sharing deal, the Left party leader said it is for the people to decide and judge who is stronger and who is in a better position to defeat the TMC and the BJP in respective seats.
Asked whether the CPI(M) will support a Congress-led alliance at the Centre to keep the BJP at bay as it did in 2004, Mr Mishra said
“We want an alternative secular government at the Centre. If the alternative secular government has to depend on our support to stop the BJP from coming to power, then we will of course have to support it”.
He brushed aside the TMC’s claims on efforts to cobble up an anti-BJP opposition alliance and said it can never be trusted in the fight against the saffron party, given its political track record.
“The so called efforts by Mamata Banerjee for opposition unity is nothing but a ploy to help the BJP. She and her party is the Trojan horse of BJP in the opposition camp. She always keeps her options open. She did the same thing in 2014 and this time too, she is doing the same thing,” he said.
“Both the TMC and the BJP have an understanding in at least 10-12 seats in Bengal. In those seats, the TMC will help the BJP,” Mishra alleged.
Continuing his criticism of Ms Banerjee, the Left party leader said it was she who had broken away from the Congress to forge an alliance with the BJP and has never worked for any secular alliance.
“These (efforts by TMC) are all attempts to fool the masses. Whatever will happen (in the alliance) will happen after the polls”.Ms Banerjee, a prime mover behind efforts to stitch together an anti-BJP alliance, organised a rally of opposition parties in city on January 19.
