Left protests as now Bangaru heads for Bengal

Laxman8217;s trip, following on the heels of Defence Minister George Fernandes8217;s visit on a similar agenda, has drawn strong reactions from Left parties. Calling it another ploy to keep a 8220;dead issue8221; alive in the hope of electoral gains for Union Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, CPIM leaders said: 8220;The proliferation of reports from their side is intended to create confusion. They the BJP-Trinamool combine are using the Central Government machinery to covertly interfere with the state8217;s law and order.8221;

The Left even charged that the frequent visits were actually getting in the way of bringing peace to the troubled areas. 8220;What are they trying to achieve by these visits?8221; senior CPIM leaders said today. 8220;Who knows Bangaru Laxman in a village in West Bengal? He has no role to play, apart from keeping Mamata from doing something desperate, which might put the BJP-led Government in trouble.8221;

However, Laxman8217;s visit is expected to achieve two goals. Though primarily it is meant to keep the issue of 8220;political killings8221; in West Bengal alive in a situation where the Centre can do precious little, Laxman8217;s visit would also cement the fissures in the BJP state unit.

One of the factions opposed to state BJP chief Tapan Sikdar recently floated a separate forum much like the one Madanlal Khurana floated in Delhi to fight the Left Front8217;s 8220;misrule8221; to share some of the limelight Mamata has been hogging through her much-hyped anti-Basu crusade. The BJP has been mostly playing second fiddle.