Buddhadeb campaigns for CPI(M) candidates

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has never thought even in his wildest reveries that he will have to participate in a road show with Congress workers holding the party flags.

This was Bhattacharjee’s first campaign for his three party candidates — Sujan Chakraborty from Jadavpur, Madhuja Sen Roy from Tollygunge and Satarup Ghosh from Kasba. Despite Alimuddin Street’s requests, he could not take part in rallies because of ill health.

The residents of Dhakuria remained a witness to this rare sight when Bhattacharjee in a tourer jeep took part in a road show attended by hundreds of Left and Congress workers.

During the UPA II government’s time, Bhattacharjee had remarked “if we ask them to sit they will sit and if we ask them stand up they will do the same.” 

Realising that the party’s existence will be at stake if quadrangular fight is held in 2016 Assembly elections, Bhattacharjee was the first person to talk about the alliance with the Congress. He made the proposal during his speech at Singur in December 2015. 

His proposal was accepted by Congress and both declared this as “people’s alliance”. The alliance neither got stamp from AICC or CPI(M)’s central committee. Interestingly, no Congress leader was travelling with him in the jeep. The workers marked holding their party flag.