Mamata gets Cong on her side for Oct 9 bandh

8220;There is a difference between national level and state level politics,8221; said Pradip Bhattacharya, working president of the West Bengal PCC.

Trinamool seems to have developed a soft corner for the Congress, which it usually ridicules as the 8216;B8217; team of the CPIM. Party leader Partha Chatterjee refused to comment if his party has changed its views about the Congress. 8220;We have called a bandh, and sought the support of anti-CPIM parties. That8217;s all. At this moment, I cannot comment if the Congress is anti-CPIM or not,8221; he said.

The CPIM is not too worried by the Congress position, since it knows the party depends on its support in Delhi. A senior state committee member of the CPIM said: 8220;Our party has criticised the Congress openly for supporting the hartal, but we know its support is meaningless.8221; 8220;We have decided not to oppose the hartal physically,8221; he said, adding, 8220;After all, 12 hours will pass just like that.8221;

The CPIM was put on the defensive after the police used force to evict Mamata from the Block Development Office at Singur when she sought to stop the payouts for the land acquisition being done for Tata Motors8217; small-car project.

CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who is also the Police Minister, had been unhappy with the use of force, which promptly put the limelight on Mamata.

Mamata later boycotted the all-party meeting called by the CM on October 4 to discuss the Singur issue.