Source: File Photos, Internet
KOLKATA, 3 JULY : The Left leaders’ visit to Congress headquarters Bidhan Bhavan on 1 July is being seen by senior political analysts as an attempt to cement ties with the Congress ahead of the Assembly election in West Bengal to bolster the joint movement against Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On Wednesday, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty, Forward block state secretary Naren Chatterjee, and other senior Left front leaders went to Bidhan Bhavan, the Congress headquarters in West Bengal, and paid tribute to Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy on his birth and death anniversary. Dr Roy was not only a renowned physician of his times, but also the state’s second chief minister representing the Congress party. Sujan Chakraborty, CPI(M) leader, said: “Although we politically opposed him, but he is a legendary figure in Bengal politics and that is why we have paid our homage to Dr Roy on his birth anniversary which is also observed as National Doctor’s Day every year.”
Political analysts are, however, of the opinion that although Left front leaders were bitter critics of Dr Roy during the 1950s and 1960s and opposed his industrial, educational and administrative polices between 1948 and 1962, they are now in an attempt to bolster their fight against the joint movement of TMC and BJP in Bengal. The Left parties seek to tie up with the Congress to strengthen their lost grounds in the state, they opined.
Imankalyan Lahiri, a senior political analyst and Professor of International Relations, Jadavpur University, said: “At a time when the BJP is trying hard to come to power and the TMC is desperately trying to regain its power in the upcoming Assembly election, both the Left front and the Congress wants to come up as a joint force to fight against TMC and BJP in Bengal. Eventually, if the force works well in the Assembly election, they can also think of joining hands in the future to fight the BJP at the Centre.”
Former professor of Presidency College and senior political analyst Amol Mukherjee said, although both Left front and Congress formed alliances and fought the election together in Bengal earlier, they were not successful as people feared that the tie-up just ahead of the polls was nothing beyond their electoral benefit. “Thus, they have decided to cement the ties earlier and respect each other in various ways so that it gives the people a sense that Congress and Left jointly can be an alternative political force.”
The Congress and the CPI(M) had joined hands for the 2016 Assembly polls but had failed to create an impact on the TMC’s performance. Their attempts to form a pre-poll pact for the Lok Sabha election this time failed as well since they could not agree to a seat-sharing formula. Despite repeated failures, an alliance of CPM and Congress is likely on the cards, analysts opined.
Earlier Left front leaders opposed Roy’s policies and accused him of rigging polls and being instrumental in banning the undivided Communist party of India
The CPI(M) had once accused Dr Roy of rigging election and playing a major role in banning the Communist Party of India, besides criticising his various administrative policies taken by the government under his leadership. Dr Roy believed that Swaraj cannot be achieved unless people were strong and healthy and he was pioneer in establishing several hospitals in Bengal, including the Jadavpur TB Hospital, Chittaranajan Seva Sadan, as well as Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital.