Kolkata: With the Congress party showing signs of a possible alliance with the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee is on the prowl to pluck heavyweight leaders from the opposition camp.
Last week, eight central committee members of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) formed the ‘Dooars, Siliguri, Terai Bhartiya Nepali Development Forum’ and held a meeting with Banerjee at the state secretariat, promising allegiance to her Trinamool Congress (TMC).
In the next few days, Abdur Rezzak Mollah, the formidable former land minister of the Left-front government is also going to join the TMC, along with prominent Muslim leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury.
“Many more leaders from the CPM and Congress party will join the TMC as everyone believes that Bengal can only rise under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee,” Mukul Roy, senior TMC leader said.
In the recent past, Harka Bahadur Chettri legislator from Kalimpong walked out of Bimal Gurung’s GJM and pledged his support to Banerjee. So was other Left front leaders like Udayan Guha in Cooch Behar to Rabindranath Chatterjee in Katwa, who all are expected to give TMC a much stronger footing in their respective areas.
“We will do significantly well in the hills this time. TMC is not only strong in South Bengal and many of you believe,” said Roy.
However, few developments are keeping the ruling party on edge as reports suggest the CPM and Congress workers are joining hands to form booth level committees to ensure TMC’s booth-capturing efforts are scuttled.
“Irrespective of what the leadership of the two parties (Congress and CPM) does, the cadres have already joined hands to take on the TMC,” Surya Kanto Mishra of the CPM said.
Also fights within TMC leaders have become a major problem with many worried this could backfire on the party despite of having a significant chance of retaining the state for the second consecutive time.
“She [Banerjee] is repeatedly asking everyone to remain united and not lose the battle just to fulfil personal vendetta within the party. However, this remains a major concern,” said a senior TMC leader.
Banerjee had been meeting leaders from all districts of the state at her home in south-Kolkata for the last few weeks asking leaders individually to stop the internal feud and work for the party even warning many not to get embroiled in unlawful activities such as carrying arms.
“All our leaders need to be careful on how they behave in public. It affects the image of the party,” said Roy.
