The West Bengal Congress has welcomed the alliance proposal of the CPI(M) state secretary of West Bengal Surya Kanta Mishra, but with a rider.
Mishra on Monday said at Kolkata that voters should vote for the Congress in the upcoming polls as his party would not field candidates. Somen Mitra, Bengal Congress president, welcomed the decision.
Said Mitra, "I welcome the move. It would be a good idea. But I would also urge the central leadership of the CPI(M) to have a discussion with our party president as well."
Mitra's decision to leave the final call in the matter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi perhaps indicates a possible agreement that Mamata Banerjee may have come to with the grand old party to not have any sort of enmity with them in Bengal.
Mishra was also one of the strong proponents of the Congess-left alliance in 2016 which was done against the wishes of central committee and politburo of the party. However, in the last party Congress in Hyderabad, the left reversed its stand and accepted the Congress as an ally in the fight against communalism in India.
"In Bengal, the situation has become critical with the rise of the BJP. So our party secretary is right in sending out message to the Congress. It is quite inevitable," said a state committee member of the CPI(M).
The CPI(M has, nonetheless, ruled out any broad alliance in Bengal against BJP which means it would have to keep its track record with Trinamool Congress.
The state committee member said, "We believe that TMC is equally communal in its politics like the BJP. It is a covert alliance between the TMC and the BJP in Bengal."
Mitra, after taking over as the party's state president a few months ago, wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi where he suggested another alliance with left in Bengal in 2019 and then 2021. Mitra said an alliance with the TMC would only bring gains in the short term. But an alliance with the CPI(M) would help revive the party in Bengal.
While Rahul Gandhi is yet to take a call, he would, in all likelihood, call on the state party leadership before taking the final decision.
"Like last time, Rahul ji would like to know the view of the other leaders," said a Congress leader.
However, many Congress leaders feel that by deciding on an alliance with CPI(M), the Congress is risking another defection from its party to ruling Trinamool Congress party.
Already two MPs from Malda — Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury and Mausam Benazir Noor — have expressed concerns over rise of the BJP in their district and openly asked for an alliance with TMC to checkmate BJP.
It's to be seen how those two out of three MPs in Bengal react ifthe Congress seal a deal with left in Bengal.
