Since it no longer wants to live under the Trinamool’s shadow, the Congress in West Bengal has decided to adopt a position befitting its status as a national party.
Since it no longer wants to live under the Trinamool’s shadow, the Congress in West Bengal has decided to adopt a position befitting its status as a national party.
From now on, the party has decided to follow what it says is an ‘independent state-level political approach.’ This new course of action concerns its interactions with the ruling Left Front government on state-centric issues. As opposed to Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee’s decision not to engage in any sort of dialogue with the state government, the Congress has decided to participate in all such interactions because it wants to be seen as an independent political identity.
On Sunday, the party took the first step when it attended the all-party meeting convened by state CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to discuss the post-Aila situation in West Bengal. Party MP from Berhampore, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said Congress cannot stubbornly boycott meetings on state-related issues because it has some responsibility as a national party. “We need to attend such meetings to highlight our views,” Chowdhury said.
Moreover, the Trinamool and the Congress have different ambitions at this point, though both ultimately want to rule Bengal. Mamata, for one, can’t see beyond the the 2011 state polls and is focussing all her energy on winning it. The same thing cannot be said for the Congress. “We do not want the state government to tell us that we are reluctant to discuss any development issues,” he said.
The decision to step out of Trinamool’s shadow was taken at a recent WBPCC meeting where senior leaders Manas Bhuiyan and party MP from Raiganj, Deepa Das Munshi, emphasised on the need to break free of the Trinamool influence.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}