Caught in
cleft stick of CPM and Trinamool Congress, Ace strategists of the Grand old party,
having only 45 members in the Lower house of the Indian Parliament are mulling
over its strategy for the forthcoming State
Assembly polls in the West Bengal.
Communist
party of India (CPM) ,fresh from the party’s plenum in its old citadel WB,is
holding two days meeting of the party’s central committee in the National
capital on Feb 16 and 17 to frame its poll strategy in tune with the W.B state committee meeting recommendations
in Kolkata .
The state committee will
send its proposals about the Political-Tactical line ( P-TL) to the Central
committee and on those recommendations , top heads of the Red brigade will
have brain storming session to crystallize
its strategy. The P-TL approach was approved in the Vishakhapatnam Congress of
Party and it was under discussions at plenum, held after more than three
decades.
Knowing
fully well that the ground situation for poll understanding is quite
fluid,the CPM is also keeping a close
watch on Congress, for which many leaders in the party, have batted openly from
public forums ,asserting that all like minded parties join hands to throw away
the Mamata Banerjee rule. CPM had iron like grip in the state for 34 years
before it was thrown out by Mamata in last polls.
Congress
,according to sources, will not initiate any step that will blur its prospects
of coming back to the center after three years and compromise its bite in the
Parliament. Mamata’s out fit has 34 members , which are just 11 members short
of Congress its own strength in the Lok Sabha. Congress and TC jointly make a
strong force in the house to take on the Narendra Modi’s vociferous force on treasury
benches.
Though elections
dates are not announced yet,but as per expected calendar, the state will go to
the Assembly polls in April-May this year. Congress, at the same time,may not spurn
CPM’s both overt and covert overtures right now as CPM has got atleast ten seats in the Lok Sabha . The
issue of Congress moves will hang fire till last moment because of its
strategic and deft political moves in such scenarios.
The 15th Assembly was constituted on May 13,2011 . It
is unicameral assembly and has 294
elected members and one nominated one .
Tightlipped
sources even in Left camp also do not rule out the possibility of Mamata
Coming back to power again because of her growing influence among masses.
Congress
Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Mamata, who had met Sonia Gandhi to wish her on
her Birth Day last month, had some discussions at time of swearing in ceremony
of the JD(U)-RJD-Congress government in Patna. Though no details of discussions
were known ,but bonhomie was palpable.
During the entire Bihar elections, Ms. Mamata
and Arvind kejriwal had kept batting against the BJP’s camp and signals were
clear that they were with Nitish’s Mahagathbandhan.
On the National Herald case , Mamata minced no
words to back Sonia Gandhi amid talks the Congress Top leadership, whose names are
three in the case ,may be denied bail.
Congress is weighing all options as its state leadership
is opposed to a tie up with Trinamool Congress but no concrete picture has
emerged so far. Congress is faced with a dilemma that it has to take on the
Left Democratic front in the Poll Bound Kerala state and it will be tough for
the party to be on the side of CPM in West Bengal and fight the same outfit in
Kerala. It may maintain equi-distance from both CPM and TC with doors left ajar
for post poll pact.
But a sudden development in Kerala where A court has ordered registration of FIR against Congress Chief Minister Oomen Chandy has increased problems for the party as its main opposition Left Democratic Front will tighten screws for his resisgnation and it will sour ties between the two parties. It may have its impact on the WB's poll strategies.
Congress had
42 members in the outgoing house while TC had 184 . Left parties – CPM – 40,AIFC
-1, CPI -2 .
The state is
known for high percentage of voting and last time it had clocked 84.33 per cent
voting percentage and out of this women
voters turn out was higher than men with 84.45 per cent while men had 84.22 per
cent.
Voters were around
5,62,83,467 to elected 294 member assembly from 1792
candidates in the fray. Electors
here are literate and quite conscious of their voting rights and because of
this ,out of 1792 candidates 1190 candidates had forfeited their deposits last
time.
Ms.Mamata
appears ahead of her rivals in the contest which might be held after over two months. Last time, polls were held between
April 18,2011 to May 10,2011.
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