WB violence 8212; Cong keeps its options open

Congress sources say that it is in this context that the party, which holds the key to imposition of President8217;s Rule in violence-hit West Bengal due to its predominance in the Rajya Sabha, has deliberately maintained an ambiguous stand on the sensitive issue.

Newly-appointed West Bengal PCC chief Pranab Mukherjee, who is known to share a 8220;good rapport8221; with Left leaders, has been non-committal over the party8217;s stand on invoking Article 356 in West Bengal. And Pranab8217;s stand 8212; or lack of it 8212; has been echoed by the high command here, which too has chosen to underplay the happenings in the state.

In fact, to assure the Left of the Congress8217; good intentions, the party8217;s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Madhavrao Scindia met senior CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet in Delhi earlier this week. Scindia8217;s discussions with the senior Left leader are reported to have centred around planning a joint offensive against the NDA Government in the coming winter session of Parliament.

One of the reasons for selecting Pranab for the unenviable job of West Bengal PCC chief was his proximity to Left leaders, in sharp contrast to his predecessor A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhary, who had nearly walked over to Mamata Banerjee8217;s Trinamool Congress. In Pranab8217;s appointment, the high command not only wanted to send a signal that there was no question of the party allying with Mamata as along as she was with the BJP, but also that the Left8217;s support at the Centre was highly valued by the party.

In any case, the Congress doesn8217;t want to be seen to be going along with what is essentially an NDA-Trinamool-sponsored demand for President8217;s Rule in West Bengal because the political gains of this move 8212; if any 8212; will mostly accrue to the Trinamool and the BJP.

There is also the view in the party that since Mamata has already cornered almost the entire spectrum of anti-Left feeling in the state, it Congress cannot extract much political mileage on this count. Therefore, the party8217;s strategy in the state, keeping in mind next year8217;s Assembly elections, is aimed at conserving its remaining cadres, rebuilding the organisation and ensuring the minority vote stays with it.

On the minority front, however, the party suffered a setback when its state unit general secretary Sultan Ahmed and two Muslim members of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation crossed over to the Trinamool earlier this week 8212; an ominous signal that Mamata may not be as untouchable to the minorities as is being made out.