Mamata Banerjee's third front is an attempt to help BJP: CPI(M) leader Md Salim

CPI(M) Member of Parliament and politburo member Md Salim on Wednesday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying that her attempts to put up a Third Front would only strengthen BJP in West Bengal.

Referring to Mamata’s call for all the Opposition parties to unite against the BJP, Salim said, “When we had asked for a front to be put up, she had quit Congress and joined the BJP. Now when the time is to fight singly against the BJP, she is trying to build a front because she intends to divide the Opposition votes,” Salim said talking to media persons.

Ahead of the Tripura Assembly election results which led to the removal of the 25-year CPI(M) government, Mamata had,  while addressing the CPI(M) MLAs, at the West Bengal state Assembly said that she had asked for their help to fight against the BJP but they did not respond and that is why they were on the verge of losing Tripura polls. Replying to that Salim said that Mamata was the one who had given entry to BJP in Bengal. “After the demolition of Babri Masjid, it is the TMC who had joined hands with the BJP. They had formed an alliance with them even after the Gujarat riots. Now they have got their senses back but it is too late. The enlightenment should have come long back,” he said.

BJP state leaders, on the other hand, are alleging that Mamata was looking for help from the Opposition parties to fight against BJP. “She knows that TMC’s days are numbered here and thus she is going soft on the CPI(M) because she would need both the CPI(M) and the Congress to fight against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.