Rahul Gandhi to discuss poll alliance with WBPCC leaders

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will meet West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) leaders on February 1 to discuss about the possible electoral alliance before the 2016 Assembly elections. 

Some Congress and CPI(M) leaders have strongly pleaded  for the alliance  to oust the Trinamool Congress.

Gandhi including PCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, WBPCC spokesperson OM Prakash Misra, former MP Dipa Das Munshi and Congress MLA Manas Bhuniya will be present at the meeting.

Misra said the leaders had told CP Joshi during his visit in Kolkata December 5, 2015 about the alliance with the CPI(M). 

Former MLA Abdul Mannan said people in the state want an alliance with the Left to oust the Trinamool Congress.

It may be mentioned that during the CPI(M) plenum which was held in the city last year, some CPI(M) leaders had also pleaded for the alliance. However, after getting lukewarm response from Congress high command the party secretary Sitaram Yechuri had ruled out the possibility of an alliance with the Congress. But the invitation by Rahul Gandhi has raised new hope in some CPI(M) leaders.

Whatever may be the views of the leaders about the alliance among the leaders, ordinary workers of both the parties felt that it would be detrimental to both the parties. 

 A veteran Congress worker  of Central Kolkata who preferred anonymity  said that  electoral alliance with CPIM was “ just not possible as”  as “ the party could not be trusted.”  He said in 1977, the Left Front came to power  with the help of Janata party  and the slogans which the CPIM used to shout against Indira Gandhi “ were still fresh in memory.”  

Again during the Bofors issue, Jyoti Basu had called Rajiv Gandhi “a thief”. “ The leaders who are now talking of alliance forgetting the past  have vested interest,” he said.

A veteran CPIM leader  from Central Kolkata said, “We had backed the Manmohan Singh government from outside but a formal electoral alliance  is impossible.  It will not help to win seats,” he felt.