A day after Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said at a function in New Delhi that the Left parties (in West Bengal) would meet “their Waterloo in about 12 months from today [Saturday],” senior leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) hit back at him saying this was mere dreaming.
They also said the Left parties would continue to oppose “the economic policies of the Congress-led government, which are not in the interests of the poor and the common man.”
Assembly elections are due in West Bengal next year.
Responding to Mr. Chidambaram's remark, Industries Minister and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Nirupam Sen said it was hardly surprising, since in a situation where “a political fight is on,” leaders of the Congress and the Left parties will obviously “be opposing each other.”
“Let us see what happens after 12 months,” Mr. Sen said.
“There is no tax on dreaming…Many have had such dreams even before but they [the dreams] remain unfulfilled,” CPI(M) central committee member Shyamal Chakravarty said.
Mr. Sen said: “The Left parties will continue to oppose the neo-liberal policies of the Congress that are not in the interests of the poor and the common man. It is for the people to see the role of the Congress government in the rise in prices of essential items.”
Meanwhile, the State Committee of the CPI(M) ended its two-day conference where it underscored the political significance of the coming elections in 81 municipalities across the State. The need for maintaining unity among the constituents of the Left Front in the run-up to the polls was emphasised.
Secretary of the State Committee Biman Bose said the “pro-people policies” of the government should be highlighted.
