Sending Kharge to TMC rally a balancing act: WB Cong

The Congress High Command’s decision to send Mallikarjun Kharge to Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) mega rally on January 19 has put the West Bengal party leadership in a spot. Despite the state leadership’s repeated requests not to send any senior leader to the TMC rally, the High Command’s decision has prompted them to describe it as a “balancing act.”

This development comes at a time when the state Congress leadership has made it clear that they do not want any alliance with TMC in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and is keen on contesting the polls in Bengal either on its own strength or joining forces with the CPI(M)-led Left Front.

However, some senior leaders support the move. “If the High Command had not sent a leader of the stature of Kharge then it would have made wrong impression that Congress is not serious about forming a pan-India alliance against BJP,” a senior state Congress leader told DH.

He also said that the decision was taken keeping the possible post-poll scenario in mind. He made it clear that since it is very unlikely that TMC will not get the highest number of Lok Sabha seats from Bengal, its support will be crucial if Congress-led coalition is able to oust BJP from power at the Centre.

“One of the key reasons behind the High Command’s decision send Kharge to TMC’s rally is to give a message that Congress is ready to extend support to any anti-BJP force. No one can deny Mamata Banerjee’s electoral clout in Bengal,” the Congress leader said.

Earlier, state Congress president Somen Mitra had said that he had taken into consideration the views of party workers and MLAs and all of them are against any kind of alliance with TMC.

“Workers and MLAs alike have told me that anyone is a better alliance partner than TMC. Their views are justified as TMC has engineered defection in our party,”’ said Mitra.