Congress workers show dissent over tie-up with CPI(M)

The breach within the Congress ranks over the proposed electoral tie up with the Left is widening fast.

To assess the situation CP Joshi is coming to the city next week with the party leaders waiting to get a nod from party chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Debaprasad Roy has said that he would not contest in the forthcoming Assembly election in North Bengal if there was tie up with the CPI(M). Roy, who was very close to Rajiv Gandhi said it was an absolutely wrong move to take the CPI(M)’s support to oust the Trinamool Congress. He said: “One should not trust CPI(M). They are the most opportunistic party and they hate the Congress in and out. It is unfortunate that some leaders of Congress who fully well know the character of the CPI(M) are planning to go for an electoral alliance.”

He added: “I do not know what the party high command will decide on the matter, but I feel that it will affect the prospect of the Congress.” He maintained that many of party workers who had earlier, been harassed by CPI(M) would either leave the party or completely withdraw themselves from the election related activities. Interestingly, Subhankar Sarkar who was in the team that met the party’s Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday had called on Mukul Roy in Delhi and held a discussion with him. Sarkar had also opposed the tie up with CPIM.

Manas Bhuniya, former president of WBPCC had also opposed the tie up and even met Sonia Gandhi and proposed that the party should fight the election alone, instead of forming an alliance with a party that “will also hold Congress with suspicion”. Dipa DasMunshi also told the party chairperson that the alliance would only affect the party’s interest.