Don’t expect support in West Bengal, if you ally with CPI(M): Mamata to Congress

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, on Friday, bluntly told the Congress Party that while it seeks her party’s support in Parliament, it should not expect the same in Bengal if it cosies up to the CPM.

In the past also she has said that the Congress, Left and BJP have a secret understanding, and are working against the ruling Trinamool dispensation in the state.

“Today, people are living peacefully in Bengal… But you are saying that there’s no peace in Bengal… But was there peace when the CPM ruled the state? The Congress has ruled many states. It’s the biggest friend of the CPI (M) and a big friend of the BJP. If you you ask for our support in Parliament against BJP, we’ll give you. But remember, don’t come to us after allying with the CPM in Bengal,” Banerjee said.

Despite the violent situation in parts of the state, Mamata Banerjee asserted that the panchayat poll nomination process was peaceful.

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Addressing the concluding session of the two-month-long ‘Trinamool eh Nabojowar’ (New Wave in Trinamool), the chief minister said: “There is no other state other than Bengal where the panchayat poll nomination process is so peaceful. The opposition parties – CPI(M), Congress, BJP and the ISF are trying to blame us over one or two incidents during the nomination exercise.”

Banerjee further recalled various atrocious acts and incidents that took place during the tenure of the Left government, and said that the Singur and Nandigram incidents took place towards the end of the Left rule.

The incident at Bhangar – where violent clashes have been reported – is the work of some goons. Two of Trinamool’s workers have died, and the party has no role in the Bhangar violence, she said.

Talking about over two lakh nominations (2,36,464) that have been filed, Banerjee said that an issue is being unnecessarily created for the trouble in just two booths, whereas there are over 61 thousand booths for the rural polls. The Trinamool has filed over 82 thousand nominations (85,817), whereas the Opposition figure stands close to 1.5 lakh (1,50,647) nominations.

Her comments came shortly after West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited violence-hit Bhangar in South 24 Paraganas district and took stock of the situation.

Governor visits violent-hit Bhangar

Governor CV Ananda Bose, who had issued strong statements on Bengal’s current situation, visited Bhangar on Friday. The governor went to some spots, and interacted with some of the “victims”. He considered the visit as one for fact-finding and data-gathering. “I have made my own inferences from what has happened… I can assure the people of Bengal, violence will be the first victim in this election. Violence should die a silent death. Those perpetrators of violence will be silenced in a permanent way under the Constitution and the laws of the land,” Bose said.