The new-found bonhomie between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress was evident in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Monday, apparently oblivious to the disapproval that this association generated at the Polit Bureau meeting.
CPI(M) MLAs Sujan Chakraborty and Anisur Rehman went to the Congress chamber in the State Assembly and met Abdul Mannan, who is tipped to be the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party and the Leader of the Opposition.
A photograph of the meeting was uploaded on social media by CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee. The caption of the photograph read, “Team opposition!!!! In d assembly today!! D fight against d despots will continue in and out!!!”.
Even Mr. Mannan expressed his wish that the Congress wants the CPI(M) by its side both in and outside the Assembly.
This all happened on the day the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) took note that the alliance with the Congress in the recently concluded Assembly polls in West Bengal was not in consonance with the Central Committee decision.
“With regard to the electoral tactics pursued by the CPI(M) in various States, the electoral tactics evolved in West Bengal was not in consonance with the Central Committee decision based on the political-tactical line of the Party which states that there shall be no alliance or understanding with the Congress party,” the Polit Bureau statement said.
A section of the CPI(M) leaders also think it was a “ deviation” from the party line.
The criticism has gained traction particularly after the alliance, though officially referred to as the alliance of Left democratic secular forces, got only 77 seats in the 294-member Assembly. The Trinamool Congress got an overwhelming majority with 211 seats.
CPI(M) State Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra, however, had defended the alliance .
In an interview to The Hindu Dr. Mishra had said that had the parties not come together, the Bharatiya Janata Party would have emerged as the second largest party in the State.
Even after the polls, the CPI(M) and the Congress have put up a united front by boycotting the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
State Congress leaders have shared the dais with Left leaders during the demonstration against the post-poll violence and leaders of both the parties have made joint visits to the Raj Bhavan.
