State Congress leaders and activists’ conspicuous absence in a rally yesterday by Left Front from Park Circus to Esplanade indicates fissures in opposition alliance for a third front.
This is the first time the Congress has stayed away from a Front rally despite being invited. The rally was a warm-up exercise in support of the nationwide joint agitation programme against various pieces of legislations of the BJP-led NDA government scheduled to be held on 26 November in which trade union wings of the Congress and CPI-M are to participate.
Not being a cadre-based party like the Left Front constituents especially CPI-M, the state Congress leadership explained that it was difficult to bring together the party rank and file in the festive season. Moreover, the state Congress had its own itinenary of programmes.
A stay-in demonstration to protest against atrocities on women and backward classes is scheduled to be held tomorrow in front of Bidhan Bhavan in presence of PCC chief, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Chowdhury will lead a procession of tractors to the Gandhi statue, a unique sight in the city on Friday to protest against the controversial farm laws.
In the backdrop of the proximity of the Congress programmes with that of the Front, the former’s excuse of not being able to bring together sufficient number of activists seems filmsy. On the other hand, it is a pointer to a course of action which has nothing to suggest that it wants to get on with the job of joint opposition against Trinamul Congress and BJP dispensations.
Seeking to sweep aside any misunderstanding, a senior PCC leader said that besides the joint agitation programme, the state unit has its own shares of activities. But his effort falls short of its target threatening the combine to get bogged down in intraparty squabbles arising from lack of co-ordination.