At the Kolkata Press Club on Wednesday. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)
Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh and expelled CPM leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday praised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the only one who can thwart the rise of communal forces in the state. The MPs were speaking at a joint press conference they set up at Calcutta Press Club, and also stated that the CPM should support Mamata against BJP. Both MPs also underplayed the alleged violence during the run-up to the panchayat polls.
“Since CPM’s stand is to support any force which is capable of defeating BJP, it should strengthen the hands of TMC in Bengal. CPM’s political line of defeating TMC and stopping BJP will not work because it is self-contradictory. Besides, at the grassroots level, CPM leader is seen campaigning with BJP leaders. It is time that leaders at Alimuddin Street realise that the party is not a decisive force in the country or in state politics. I have evidence to prove that the CPM leaders in Bengal are apprehensive about not being able to open their account in the 2019 Lok Sabha election,” said Banerjee, who was expelled by the party last year on disciplinary grounds.
Banerjee also said that looking at the results of the Tripura Assembly elections, it was clear that the CPM had unconditionally surrendered to BJP. Referring to violence during the nomination process of the panchayat elections, he said CPM was losing its popularity in the state. “As many as 60,000 people in the entire state have not renewed their membership in Bengal. They were not coerced or afraid of the ruling party. At the moment, there is no alternative to Mamata Banerjee in Bengal,” Banerjee added.
Ghosh, who was jailed as an accused in the Sarada chit fund scam, said that compared to earlier panchayat polls, the current election has seen less violence. “I might have had my issue-based differences with Trinamool, but to people who are alleging that there had been widespread violence by the present dispensation, let me tell them that it is nothing new. It had been there during the last regime as well. In fact, it is relatively less at present.”
He admitted that there had been few incidents of violence, which he termed “unfortunate”, but also indicated that the Opposition did not have enough candidates. “Those who are alleging that they could not pitch their candidates owing to violence, I would like to request them to come out with the list of candidates who could not be nominated owing to violence,” said Ghosh.