Congress, CPI(M) to share dias for the first time since Independence

Our Correspondent

Kolkata: In the past six decades of country’s history since Independence, the Congress and the CPI(M) for the first time will share dais at a political meeting in Durgapur on April 2.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and former CPI(M) MP Bansagopal Chowdhury will share dais in support of the allied candidates in Durgapur and Bankura.

This will be Alimuddin Street’s biggest honour to Saifuddin Chowdhury who had for the first time said in early 1990s that rapport with the Congress should be increased to stop the BJP’s advancement. 

Chowdhury, who was a central committee member and the deputy leader of the party in Lok Sabha and who was also close to Rajiv Gandhi, was removed from the party in the 1990s for advocating this philosophy.

However, the comrades have finally fulfilled the dream of Chowdhury that will happen in Burdwan district from where he belonged. 

The AICC had invited CPI(M) state secretary Suryakanta Misra to be present at the meeting with Gandhi. But leaders at Alimuddin Street said it would not be possible for Misra to be present at the meeting because of his prior engagements.

It will be interesting to see Chowdhury who was an arch rival of Rajiv Gandhi for his “wrong “industrial policies and had given speeches both inside Parliament and outside will be sharing podium with his son. Thousands of Congress workers who worked in the factories lost their jobs.

Hundreds of big and small factories in Durgapur and Asansol belt were closed due to militant trade union movement of CITU. Sen Raligh, the country’s first joint venture in cycle industry, was closed due to same reason. Trade union leaders like Haradhan Roy, Rabin Sen, Mrinal Banerjee who had represented CPIM’s trade union front had always incited workers against Congress. Now, CPI(M) and Congress leaders are criticising Mamata Banerjee for her failure to bring industries in West Bengal.

Mewnehile, CPI(M) leaders at Alimuddin Street have asked Rabin Deb not to take a Nano in his campaign in Singur as the issue is still very sensitive. Deb had gone to the area in a Nano. Suryakanta Misra said if voted to power, the Left would set up Nano factory in Singur. 

“The ghost of Nano is chasing the CPI(M) and the party leaders think that if this issue is brought back again, then who had planned to set up the factory on farm land when barren land was available would come to light. And, that will not be very palatable for the CPI(M),” Partha Chatterjee said.