Mamata targets ‘BJP-CPM secret alliance’

Even during her roadshow on Thursday in the Mominpur and Kidderpur areas,Banerjee stressed on the “CPM-BJP nexus” and called on the people there,majority of whom are minority voters,to shun both.

“The BJP has entered into a secret understanding with the CPM in Bengal. It has put up candidates in various constituencies with the help of the CPM,” said Banerjee at a roadshow.

“Through the nexus they are trying to make a dent in the anti-Left votes in Bengal. We wanted to consolidate the anti-Left votes and we got into an alliance with the secular Congress,” she added.

Sources in the party said that the TMC supremo has directed all her candidates in the 28 constituencies to raise the issue during campaign.

“Raising the issue will not only help us negate the BJP effect,but will serve a further bigger issue. We are trying to expose that in Bengal the CPM is close to the BJP and is working against the Congress-Trinamool alliance. The Congress should take note of this,” said a senior Trinamool leader on condition of anonymity.

Partho Chatterjee,leader of the Opposition in the Assembly,said: “Isn’t it obvious that the CPM is helping the BJP break the anti-CPM vote bank here. The people of Bengal will teach them a lesson.”

The Trinamool is also counting on the minority votes. Already a section of these votes,which was with the Left earlier,has drifted to the Trinamool after the Nandigram and Rizwanur episodes.

Trinamool campaign jeep set ablaze in Hooghly
Barely a day before Bengal goes to the polls,a campaign jeep of a Trinamool candidate was set on fire allegedly by CPM supporters.

The jeep was used for campaign by Kalyan Banerjee,party candidate for Serampore constituency in Hooghly. Following the incident,angry Trinamool supporters blocked many roads,including the G T Road and several railway stations in the district.

Banerjee was recently amid a controversy after he allegedly made derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Following a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner in Delhi by the CPM,the matter is pending before the EC.

According to the police,the jeep belonged to former Trinamool MP Akbar Ali Khondokar and was used by his wife Swati and Banerjee for campaign. The jeep was found in charred condition early this morning at a garage in Charabagan area of Seoraphuli.

“I used the jeep last night for campaigning in Chanditolla and parked it in the garage around 10 pm. Early morning it was found completely charred. I have lodged a complaint with the police,” said Swati,Hooghly district president of Trinamool women’s wing.

“We are interrogating the garage owner and driver of the jeep and also called for forensic experts,” said Rabindranath Chakraborty,inspector in-charge of Serampore police station.

Banerjee said: “CPM cadres deliberately burnt our jeep. They also targeted my jeep parked in the same garage. They are trying to prevent me from campaigning. I have complained to the district magistrate and police superintendent.”

The CPM termed the incident a political gimmick. “Banerjee has become very unpopular after he made derogatory comments about the chief minister. He is also under the scanner of the EC. Therefore they set fire to their own jeep to shift the focus of voters,” said Jibesh Chakraborty,CPM district committee member and MLA from Champdani.