Speaking before his first tour of the State ahead of the Assembly polls as the Congress’s West Bengal in-chargeJitin Prasadasaid his party would asses the ground situation before announcing alliances and stressed that the BJP had deployed huge resources towards the election.
You are going to Bengal on your first tour after being appointed the State in-charge. Why is the Congress hesitant about announcing its alliance with the Left parties?
Congress’ stand is very clear. We have had joint programmes at the State-level with the Left parties. The Congress party at present is in the process of consultations. Wide range of talks are going on at all levels within the party. I will also be travelling to Kolkata to meet the cadre and people at large. Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s decision will be final in this regard.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress could not arrive at an agreement with the Left parties. Has the situation changed since then?
Of course, we have had at the State level, joint demonstrations and protests against the State and the Central government. Once we get feedback from all quarters and submit a report, Congress president Sonia Gandhi ji will take the final call.
Is there a possibility of the Congress joining hands with the Trinamool Congress?
There is no need to jump the gun here. We are talking to our leaders and cadre. Like I said earlier, we have been working with the Left parties on various issues.
Who is your primary political adversary in the State — BJP or Trinamool?
As of now, the Congress is facing a twin challenge, where on the one hand, the BJP is trying to stoke communal sentiments and playing divisive politics ignoring the burning issues of development, infrastructure, education and health, which are key in Bengal. And on the other hand is the deteriorating law and order situation under the Trinamool Congress government.
What role will the Congress play in West Bengal where the BJP has been expanding its presence?
We all have seen, in the Lok Sabha election 2019, for whatever reason, the BJP did exceptionally well across the country. But now, with close 18-months after their re-election, the people are beginning to see through them. And they have only failed to deliver on their promise as usual. The farmers agitation is a case in point. They went around the country making tall promises to the farmers and today you can see a countrywide protest against the three farm laws. In Bengal specifically, the BJP does not have a positive agenda. They are only trying to divert attention from real issues.
How is the BJP gaining ground in West Bengal, even when it is relatively a newer party in the State compared to the Congress and Left?
They are the party in power in the Centre with huge resources at their command and control over the media. But all of these factors do not mean that they will electorally gain in the State. They will stand exposed in West Bengal, because their whole intention is to take on the very idea that Bengal stood and trample over Bengal’s culture and heritage. There are some people in BJP who even want to alter the national anthem written by Rabindranath Tagore. Bengal has never been divided on religious and caste lines. This goes against the Bengali ethos.
Debate on CAA/NRC are set to re-appear with the West Bengal Assembly polls. What is the Congress’s stand on the issue?
People have seen through all this. BJP should not use NRC as a political tool. Time and again it has been seen that the BJP rakes up NRC/CAA whenever an election nears and later it quietly puts it in cold storage. Congress stands for whatever is in national interest.
