State Congress is in favour of going alone in next year’s parliamentary election subject to the approval of the AICC leadership.
PCC chief Somen Mitra on Tuesday went hammer and tongs at the ruling party in the state, thereby indicating a resolve to go alone for the next year’s parliamentary polls. However, not deviating from the official line, he said that the decision of entering into an alliance for next year’s election rests with the national leadership.
Admitting that the state Congress lacks the organisational prowess to hold a rally at Brigade Parade ground, Mitra announced a meeting at Rani Rashmoni Road on 12 December where the speakers will highlight the shortcomings of the state government and the BJP-led NDA dispensation.
The newly appointed state Congress president voiced his opinion on the prospective alliance and the shortcomings of the ruling party after having interacted with leaders of nine districts of the state at Bidhan Bhavan, the state party headquarters, during the day.
Mitra’s contention assumes significance after senior Congress leader P Chidambaram advocated a state-wise alliance for the next year’s election.
Mitra who had once been a Trinamool MP hit out at his former party during the day. Those who make tall claims of resisting the BJP in the state do not even have a marginal presence in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, he said.
Only the Congress with its national presence can resist the BJP, Mitra said. The ruling party of the state had sent one of its Rajya Sabha MPs, Nadimul Haq, at a rally of AICC chief Rahul Gandhi’s protest meeting on the purchase of Rafale aircraft, he said, indicating the political stature of Haq to be a pointer to the lack of seriousness of the ruling party to criticise the BJP-led Union government on burning issues.
Then the ruling party had not been a steadfast ally of the Congress, Mitra said. It had swelled its by engineering defections from Congress, he added.
Law and order issues in the state together with lapses of the Union government will be points of criticism at the 12 December rally, the PCC chief said. There is no law and order in the state and it is the policemen who determine the law here, he said on bursting of crackers at Rabindra Sarobar on the occasion of Chhat Puja during the day.
The PCC chief ruled out the apprehension that BJP’s proposed rath yatra next month will polarise voters baseless. Those joining BJP are seeking a shelter while fleeing from the atrocities of Trinamool as we cannot accommodate them and Left Front is decaying, he said, adding, “as soon we are in a position to provide shelter, the persons flocking to BJP will return to our fold”.
The Congress will organise a rally at Chopra in Dinajpur (north) on 17 November to protest the killing of one of its activists, Mitra said.