Party in the dark, Mamata calls for bandh on June 7

The Trinamool Congress today declared a 12-hour bandh on June 7 that would precede the Congress’ daylong bandh on June 14.Trinamool chi...

The Trinamool Congress today declared a 12-hour bandh on June 7 that would precede the Congress’ daylong bandh on June 14.

Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee announced the bandh within 24 hours of WBPCC’s announcement. The issues are almost identical: state secondary education board’s mistake in marksheets, state’s economic bankruptcy, ‘‘victimisation’’ of teachers, rising unemployment and power tariff hike.

For a leader who has prided herself for not indulging in ‘‘bandh politics’’, the decision was one of desperation. The decision was taken single-handedly for several Trinamool leaders said they did not have the slightest idea about a bandh.

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It is evident the Trinamool is struggling to remain the state’s main Opposition party. The poll results to five municipalities and a host of other bypolls to municipal and corporation wards show the Trinamool’s downslide.

The CPI(M) leadership is happy with the likely face-off between the two main Opposition parties. ‘‘The two are fighting each other. Neither has any scruples. The LF and the government will oppose the bandhs,’’ said CPI(M) state secretary Anil Biswas.

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