Kolkata: After the hardcore anti-Trinamool Congress fraction in West Bengal unit of Congress like the state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, now even the soft-liners in the state unit of the country’s oldest national party have started admitting that INDIA alliance will ultimately benefit BJP in the state.
According to the veteran state Congress leader and the former party Rajya Sabha member Pradip Bhattacharya, known to be maintaining a softer stand about Trinamool Congress compared to that of Chowdhury, while unity of
opposition forces nationally is important to defeat BJP, in the perspective of West Bengal it is difficult to implement that unity on practical grounds.
“BJP might ultimately gain in West Bengal in case of a rare possibility of an election between Congress, Trinamool Congress and CPI(M)- led Left Front. There is a difference between the national perspective and that of West Bengal. But I personally think that despite the national understanding the party high- command will not force any arrangement in the state without consulting the state unit,” he said.
Chowdhury, on his part is still adamant on his stand, claiming that there is no question as of now of initiating a seat- bargaining formula with Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.
The hardcore anti-Trinamool Congress stand in state Congress was first propagated by state party leader and the Calcutta High Court counsel Kaustav Bagchi who said that in West Bengal Trinamool Congress will continue to be the principal political opponent of Congress.
Although the party high command made an attempt to tame him on this count by deleting his name from the list of party spokesperson, it backfired as Bagchi received massive support in the social media from ordinary Congress workers.
Political observers feel that top state Congress leadership has realised that Bagchi’s views reflect the common sentiments of the grassroots level Congress workers who do not want any understanding with Trinamool Congress
at any cost.
“So probably that is why even the soft-liners have started speaking on Bagchi’s lines with a different connotation,” a city- based political observer said.
–IANS
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