CPI(M): ‘Won’t carry the dead weight of TMC … welcome Mamata wanting to get out of INDIA bloc’

'Mamata Banerjee gave space to the BJP in West Bengal ... TMC can never fight an ideological war against it,' says CPI(M)’s West Bengal state secretary Md Selim

In an interview with The Indian Express, CPI(M) state secretary Md Selim talks about the TMC and Mamata Banerjee, seat sharing with the Congress, and his party’s efforts to rebuild its organisation. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

West Bengal is again poised to be a battleground state in the Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP hoping to improve upon its gains made five years ago. The CPI(M), whose political space has shrunk over the past decade since losing power in the state, is looking to rebuild its organisation. Though the party is a member of the INDIA alliance nationally, it is opposed to the bloc’s constituent and West Bengal’s ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Excerpts:

* On January 22, Mamata Banerjee said CPI(M) was controlling the INDIA alliance. Three days later, the CM said she would not join an alliance with the Congress in Bengal and would consider the INDIA bloc nationally only after the Lok Sabha polls. Your take?

We are not doing politics for hire. We never lend out our shoulders and won’t carry the dead weight of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). We are trying to bring all the forces against BJP on one platform. Those who are walking with the RSS can’t go far with us. That we knew very well. Now, Mamata Banerjee is finding excuses to hurt this unity. We knew she would do this. A lot of people boarded a train from the originating station but one cannot say who will continue to be part of the fight against the BJP till the end and who will deboard en route. Mamata Banerjee now wants to get off the train and we welcome it.

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* Recently, the CM asked the Congress to leave the CPI(M) as she can’t go with a party that has committed atrocities in Bengal.

Our fight against the RSS and the BJP is ideological. TMC can never fight an ideological war against the BJP because it was born out of the Congress to go with the BJP. Mamata Banerjee gave space to the BJP in West Bengal. Now, they again want to help the BJP and to do that she (Mamata Banerjee) is searching for excuses. She has to save her family from ED-CBI probes.

Since these statements of hers, the CBI and the ED appear to have gone silent on Bhaipo (her nephew and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee). We all saw how a CM of a state can be arrested (Hemant Soren). So, we know that they can arrest a CM if they want to. They entered (former Union Finance Minister) Chidambaram’s house by climbing a wall but could not arrest Sheikh Shahjahan (Sandeshkhali TMC leader accused in the PDS scam). Nobody believes the ED and the CBI cannot arrest Shahjahan. Everybody knows he is not being arrested because of an understanding between the TMC and the BJP. Mamata Banerjee is doing what the RSS has instructed her to do.

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Also read | INDIA alliance in Bengal hangs on Congress demand for more than 2 seats, but why numbers an eyeopener

* You have said there is no chance of going with the TMC. Is the CPI(M) looking at a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress in the state?

It is too early to say. Our main target is to defeat the BJP and the TMC in Bengal.

* Although the CPI(M) has no MLAs or MPs in Bengal, how rejuvenated is it in the state after the Insaaf Yatra and the Brigade rally?

For Bengal’s resurgence, we need a rejuvenated Left. That is not possible without a revamp of the CPI(M). Any revamp is only possible with the youth. We have to bring the youth to the front. That happened at the Insaaf Yatra. The question is not how many seats we have but whether we are fighting for the resurgence of Bengal and whether we are fighting to save our Constitution and democracy.

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More