In its 75th year All India Forward Bloc is facing stiff challenges from a section of its own comrades, whom the party’s Secretary-General defined as “rotten fruits.” The Secretary-General, Debabrata Biswas, who has chosen to spend more time in Kolkata rather than Delhi these days to boost the confidence of cadres and colleagues, has told The Hindu that it is good for the party to shed the “unwanted elements.” He refused to accept that the party leaders who have recently decided to leave the AIFB to join the BJP are of any importance. At least two important leaders of AIFB’s youth wing, Yuva League, have announced their joining of the BJP with about “1500 workers” – a claim that Mr Biswas has brushed aside.
Claiming that the two renegades – Anirban Chowdhury and Ajoy Agnihotri – are “rotten fruits”, Mr. Biswas said that it will help the party to understand the difference between the “fake and the real.” He also said that the youth leaders cannot dissuade 1500 workers, as claimed by the dissidents, to leave AIFB to join the BJP. “If they were as popular to take away so many leaders and cadres with them, they would have been big leaders in AIFB,” said Mr. Biswas and further added that inspite of being a mass leader the expelled state committee member of the CPI-M, Abdur Razzak Molla could not dissuade any one to leave the CPI-M
“It does not really happen in leftist parties,” said Mr. Biswas, while Rahul Sinha, the state BJP president claims that he has managed to win over the entire youth front of AIFB. In fact, Anirban Chowdhury is also confident. “Many senior leaders of AIFB would come with us on Sunday,” he claimed.
Explaining, why it was “mandatory” for them to leave a left coalition to join a right-wing party, Mr. Chowdhury said that AIFB “lacks transparency.” “They (AIFB) would not replace the top leadership and bring in fresh faces. Neither the leaders will reveal source of their income or size of their property,” said Mr. Chowdhury. Besides listing a set of other complaints, Mr. Chowdhury meekly defended himself for joining BJP, a party that he and his colleagues have opposed tooth and nail over the years.
“No court in the country has convicted Narendra Modi and no charge could be proved against him, and therefore we do not think he is communal,” said the erstwhile left leader and said that BJP is the “only credible option” in Bengal to fight Mamata Banerjee led Trinamul Congress. “The left parties cannot fight TMC any more...thats what I believe,” Mr Chowdhury signed off.
Published - July 19, 2014 10:31 am IST
