9th time in fray,CPM stalwart still running strong

The state Congress has cast aspersions on your “non-Bengali” status. Your response?
I am a fifth-generation Tamil living in Bengal. I hail from the only Tamil-dominated village in this state,Bero in Purulia district. My family’s roots are in Kancheepuram,but we don’t speak the language anymore. At least,I can’t. I have worked for this state all my life. I am more Bengali than Tamil.

How do you view the challenge posed by Congress’ Subrata Mukherjee?
He has no principles. He has been in and out of the Congress and the Trinamool. He even held the post of Kolkata Mayor with Trinamool backing while being a sitting Congress MLA. We are confident of winning and improving on the 60 per cent we achieved in 2004. Also,the opposition vote will be divided between the BJP,SUCI,Congress and the Jharkhand-based tribal parties. Mukherjee has been trying to win over the tribal votebank. He held meetings with Jharkhand-based party leaders,including the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha,but failed to strike a deal. I have information that there was an offer of money in exchange of votes as well. I admit there are fractures in our tribal votebank due to Maoist influence,but it won’t affect us.

Bankura has the tag of a long-neglected,backward constituency in spite of you being a long-time MP from here.
Due to our efforts over the past decade,a lot of development is coming Bankura’s way. Rail connectivity has been improved. The largest power plant in the country,with a generation capacity of 4.500 MW,will be commissioned for use by 2010. The Mejia power plant’s capacity is being increased to 2.300 MW. By the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan,Bankura will generate 8,000 MW of electricity. A 3 million tonne cement plant is also coming up. I am confident all this will increase employment and stop migration. It is the Trinamool which is opposing industrialisation. If the Nano had been allowed to be produced in Bengal,other automakers would have followed the Tatas to Bengal.

Will the Left Front join the UPA in case the Congress retains power? Prakash Karat has not ruled out such an eventuality.
There is no UPA any more now. There is no alliance. Except for the DMK,all are against the Congress. Outside Maharashtra,even the NCP is with us in the Third Front. Sharad Pawar has said nothing about allying his party with the Congress. He has not expressed support for the Congress prime ministerial candidate. As for Karat’s projection,it comes with a rider. Forming an alliance with the Congress is only possible if the Indo-US nuclear deal is scrapped unconditionally. But we all know that is almost impossible. The deal is Manmohan Singh’s pet project.