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For, she clings to the belief that he is “a young boy” and some “vested interests” are distorting his words and statements. The TMC chief speaks to Prasanta Paul of Deccan Herald. Excerpts from the interview.
Prakash Karat alleged that the TMC would veer towards the NDA after the polls. What do you have to say ?
It is for everybody to see who is trying to talk to the NDA partners. It is the CPM leaders who got in touch with Chandrababu Naidu, Naveen Patnaik of the BJD and Jayalalitha. Even the West Bengal chief minister said last week he had a word with Nitish Kumar. It’s time the CPM sees its reflection in the mirror.
But then, what’ll be the TMC stand post-poll if the Congress fails to make it in the numbers game ?
Politics is the art of the possible; as for TMC, it’s impossible to veer towards a government that has either the CPM-led front or the BJP. We’d prefer a secular and stable government.
Prime minister Manmohan Singh reportedly remarked that if the UPA forms the government, you’d be given a cabinet berth. What portfolio would you prefer ?
The issue does not arise at all at this juncture nor is it an important issue for us. It’s a question to be decided by the party.
No possibility of shuffling your alliance partner after the polls especially in the wake of the observations made by Rahul Gandhi ?
Rahul is a young boy and there are some who are distorting his comments with a vested interest. I don’t believe Soniaji is very keen to form a government with the help of the Left.
It has been alleged that the TMC has been in constant touch with the Maoists at Lalgarh. What is your take ?
The tribals at Lalgarh did not vote en masse in protest against the government apathy towards their plight. If they had voted, the entire vote would have gone against the CPM. So, when they boycotted the polls, which party ultimately benefited – obviously the CPM.
The flight of Nano from Bengal must have been a great setback for your party; how are you tackling this issue ?
Who prevented the state government from going ahead with the Nano plant ? It was agreed during a meeting with Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi that the government would have to return 400 acres to the unwilling farmers.
We wanted the co-existence of industry and agriculture which the government refused. Under the Right to Information Act, we had asked for a copy of the deal with the Tatas and we received nothing as on date.
Are you then opposed to industrialisation ?
You’ve a wrong conception about us. We’d still say we’re opposed to setting up of Special Economic Zone on fertile farmland. No government has the right to forcibly acquire farmland in the name of SEZ and other business infrastructure.