Despite leaders vying for alliance, dissent in CPI(M) and Congress ranks

In the recently concluded two day meeting of the CPI(M) state Committee the alliance has been termed as ‘people’s alliance’. The name of Congress has been tactfully avoided in the draft resolution as in case the Central leadership turns down the proposal, the alliance will be formed in the local level. However, whatever the leaders have said or felt about the alliance it has created lukewarm response among the workers who will write wall graffiti, do house to house campaign and will be distributing voters’ slip. These are the people who are the main architects of election engineering. After the poll debacle in 2011, the CPI(M) had received a major setback and the offices of the ‘all powerful’ local committee remained closed for months. The zonal committee offices in many areas were kept under lock and key.

The Ramgarh party office in South Kolkata during the Left Front regime was the centre of major activities. The comrades kept tabs of every person living in the area and often took initiative to settle disputes. Most of the party workers declared the proposed alliance as ‘absurd.’ “How can we go hand in hand with Congress? We consider them to be our arch-rivals,” the workers of the office wondered saying that this would only help Trinamool Congress to consolidate power. Asked why the leaders have spoken in favour of the alliance they said: “Few of them have contacts with the common people and they think that the alliance will take in presence of senior leaders of the party.” They further added: “But the workers in the lowest level are most important and no step has ever been taken to know what we want.” The Congress workers on Bhowanipore said: “Such an alliance is impossible. The CPI(M) is the biggest opportunist party and in trying to oust Trinamool, they are trying to use the Congress.” They felt that many Congress workers will join Trinamool once the alliance is formally announced. It may be mentioned that veteran Congress leader DP Roy had already said that he would not contest in the Assembly election if there was a pact. Manas Bhuniya and Deepa Dasmunshi have also already spoken against the alliance. Now, everyone is waiting to see how Congress and CPI(M) workers bury their hatchets and fight together.