Mamata Banerjee’s dadagiri continues in West Bengal

With less than six months left for the West Bengal assembly elections, Congress and Trinamool Congress should be firming up their alliance. Instead, the parties are fighting like estranged brothers.

Continuing her tirade against Congress, Trinamool chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday the ruling CPM had been able to retain power for such a long period (over three decades) by bribing the opposition.

Without naming Congress, she said the secret of the 34-year Left Front rule in West Bengal was the opposition’s vulnerability to bribes.

“However, they will not be able to bribe or purchase Trinamool Congress and this time, they will become totally extinct,” Mamata told a mega rally of her party’s youth wing in Kolkata.

Congress hit back. Reminding Mamata that she was part of Congress for a long time, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) spokesman Arunava Ghosh said, “In 2001, Trinamool Congress was in opposition. Who is she hinting at [when she makes the bribery allegation]? She has to make it clear whether she wants anti-Left alliance in West Bengal or not.”

The war of words between Congress and Trinamool has been going on quite some time.

Recently, MLA Partho Chattopadhyay claimed Trinamool was ready to face the Left alone. To this, WBPCC president Manas Bhuyian said, “History proves Trinamool alone cannot oust the Left Front from power.”