Bengal Cong to stick to anti-TMC line

Despite cordial relations between interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal unit of Congress has decided to stick to its anti-TMC line.

The party has even prepared a questionnaire for the chief minister, demanding answers for alleged atrocities of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The Bengal Congress leadership has made its stand clear with regard to its approach to TMC and brushed aside speculation about the revival of ties between the two parties, which were alliance partners in the 2011 Assembly elections.

It has pointed out that the state unit has started talks with the revival of its alliance with the Left Front.

“One should remember that we have started talks with the Left Front about reviving our alliance. We want to ensure that the Left joins forces with us for the upcoming municipal and Assembly by-elections,” said state Congress president Somen Mitra.

“It was TMC who brought BJP into Bengal, which is now indulging into its politics of polarisation here. So there is no question of changing our stand towards TMC,” said Mitra.

The state Congress has also decided to launch a counter-campaign to TMC’s “Speak to Didi” initiative in the form of a questionnaire titled "Didike bolchi" (Telling Didi)

This will pose several questions to the Chief Minister such as “will TMC return Congress party offices which it snatched with muscle power.”

Admitting that TMC’s “Speak to Didi” campaign has made some impact among people, Mitra said that people are thinking that some of their problems will be resolved through it but the Chief Minister has to prove that she is serious about the people’s issue.

“Let’s see what her answer will be to our question” said Mitra. Congress has also prepared a district-wise list of its party offices which were captured by ruling party cadres.