TMC mocks speculation of Congress-CPI(M) alliance

 Mocking speculations on an alliance between Congress and CPI(M) in the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, senior TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee on Saturday said the party is not bothered about it since they are confident of retaining power for another term.

"We are not bothered about who is holding whose hand in forming alliance. Since we are confident of retaining power for another term and form the government after a landslide victory in the 2016 Assembly elections in the state, we take it as a non-issue," Mukherjee, the state Panchayat and Rural Development minister said. Talking to reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna after garlanding the portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birthday, Mukherjee dispelled speculations of a Congress-CPI(M) alliance and said most Congress workers at the grassroots level have already joined the TMC.

"The constituents of this speculative alliance are actually in panic about their political existence in the state," he said. Going a step ahead, Mukherjee even said they were confident of getting more seats this time than what they won in 2011. "There may not be even any recognised opposition party after the 2016 Assembly polls in the state," he said.

Amid talks of a possible tie-up between Congress and CPI(M), AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has called the state Congress leadership to Delhi for a meeting on February 1. Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra have sent out messages to the Congress from public meetings to join hands with the Left Front to oust the Trinamool Congress.