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TMC MLA of South Burdwan Ravi Ranjan Chattopadhyay unwilling to fight election- writes letter to CM Mamata Banerjee

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In a letter to the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, the South Burdwan Trinamool Congress MLA, Ravi Ranjan Chattopadhyay said that he did not want to contest the West Bengal election this year because of ill health.

The profile of Ravi Ranjan Chattopadhyay on the website myneta.info highlights that he is an educationist turned politician. He completed his MA from the University of Burdwan in the year 1963 and completed his Doctorate from the same university in the year 1968. He is one of the MLAs with a clean image in the TMC, as his profile shows that he has zero criminal cases against him.

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

After getting elected in the Burdwan South seat in the 2011 assembly election which overthrew the 34-year-old Left front rule, he was re-elected again in the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

In the heated up battleground for the West Bengal state election, where 40 odd TMC leaders have jumped the boat and switched to BJP, the letter from Ravi Ranjan Chattopadhyay has put the TMC high command into new worry. Though there is no confirmed report of his eagerness to switch party, the political environment in Bengal is now filled with speculation of the same.

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West Bengal election 2021: Seat sharing being chalked out between the Left and Congress for Bengal election

Left-Congress

Indian National Congress & the Left have decided how they will carve up 230 of 294 seats for West Bengal’s assembly elections due in April-May. They have set themselves a deadline for dividing the remaining 64 seats by February 15.

The objective of the Left- congress alliance is to iron out all creases in the alliance by the time Congress leader Rahul Gandhi comes to Kolkata on February 28 to address a joint rally by the two allies at the brigade parade ground. The deadline of the alliance came on a day the Prime Minister attacked both the Left and the Congress of “match-fixing” with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Also See: Trilateral fight in West Bengal polls-problem with the Left

PM Modi said, “They are meeting secretly and making plans. Even in Kerala, they have decided the Left will rule for five years and the Congress will rule for the next five years. You should not be part of this bluff.”

The Left has hit back attacking the Prime Minister for loose talk. “If anyone is doing match-fixing, it is the BJP and Trinamool,” said Sujan Chakraborty, CPM MLA. He also added, “The Prime Minister has been advised BJP will not win in Bengal and so he is making excuses.”

Meanwhile, on the seat-sharing front, no numbers were revealed at the end of a nearly three-hour meeting held in Kolkata on Sunday at CPM headquarters at Alimuddin Street. An earlier seat-sharing formula for 193 of the state’s 294 seats was scrapped.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

A decision was made to go through each seat individually before allotting it to either the Left or the Congress, instead of juggling numbers, sources said.

The allies also discussed an offer by the new political front in Bengal, the Indian secular Front or ISF, to fight the polls jointly.

ISF chief patron, a popular preacher of Furfura Sharif, Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui wrote to Biman Bose of CPM recently. Mr. Bose has responded positively to his offer.

But Congress leader Adhir Chaudhury did not want to commit any seats just yet as Abbas Siddiqui had not written to him.

Congress leader Abdul Mannan recently wrote to Sonia Gandhi suggesting a tie-up between Congress and ISF.

Meanwhile, at Vidhan Bhavan, the Congress headquarters in Kolkata, the party’s in-charge for Bengal Jitendra Prasada, held meetings with different party cells underscoring the need to speed up alliance talks on not just seat-sharing but also a campaign plan. Mr Prasada is reported to have said that the Congress leadership was keen on an early resolution of all issues so that a joint campaign could begin in Bengal in right earnest.

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Two-time MLA-Dipak Haldar resigned from the Trinamool Congress within days of exit of Rajib Banerjee

Within days of Rajib Banerjee  quitting as Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA, another setback came for the ruling party in West Bengal. On Monday, Dipak Haldar, a two-time legislator from Diamond Harbour has also resigned from the party but remained tight-lipped on joining the saffron camp.

While the National capital region is witnessing farmers’ protests on a large-scale, the electoral battleground is heating up, in West Bengal, for the first major state election in India in 2021. The exits from the TMC may pose a problem for the ruling party in the state.

Amid the ongoing exits from TMC, ahead of the state assembly polls, Haldar lashed out at the party leadership for “not allowing him to work for the masses”.

“I am a two-time MLA. But since 2017, I am not allowed to work properly for the masses. Despite informing the leadership, no action was taken to improve the situation. I am not informed about any party programme. I am answerable to the people of my constituency and supporters. So I have decided to quit the party. I will send my resignation to the district and state president soon,” he said.

Also See: Trilateral fight in West Bengal- issue with the Left

Besides Rajib Banerjee, Baishali Dalmiya (Trinamool MLA from Bally, Howrah) and Prabir Ghosal (Trinamool MLA from Uttarpara in Hooghly) have a history of publicly speaking against the party. While some had resigned from their posts, others had been suspended by the party. Baishali & Ghosal have recently joined BJP, along with Rajeeb Banerjee, in New Delhi.

For the last few months, Haldar has been speaking against the party leadership. Haldar, considered to be a close associate of BJP leader Sovan Chatterjee, since his days in the TMC, recently met the latter at his residence in South Kolkata.  In 2015, Haldar was suspended from the party after he was arrested for his alleged involvement in a clash between rival factions of the party’s students’ front in a district college.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

He came out on bail later and was reinstated in the party. Since the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, when the BJP bagged 18 seats, just four less than the ruling TMC, and emerged as its main challenger in Bengal, 17 MLAs of the Trinamool Congress, one TMC MP, three each from the Congress and the CPI(M) and one from CPI have crossed over to the saffron camp.

However, except for the former state cabinet ministers Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee, none of them resigned as MLAs.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly are likely to be held in April-May this year.

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Turncoats from TMC including Rajeeb Banerjee headed to New Delhi in a chartered flight to join BJP

New boat-jumpers from TMC, including Rajeeb Banerjee, joined BJP, in the run-up to the West Bengal election 2021 as the weekend tour of Amit Shah to the state of West-Bengal stood cancelled.

Six Trinamul turncoats, including former minister Rajib Banerjee, joined the BJP at Amit Shah’s residence in Delhi late on Saturday after they took a chartered flight to the capital on the Union home minister’s “orders”.

“We have been handed over the BJP flag and formally inducted into the party by Amit Shah,” said Rajeeb Banerjee. The others who joined the BJP with him were expelled Trinamul MLA Baishali Dalmia, former mayor of Howrah-Rathin Chakraborty, MLA Prabir Ghoshal, former chairman of Ranaghat municipality-Parthasarathi Chattopadhyay and actor Rudranil Ghosh.

Also Read: Evolution of Anti-defection laws in India

Amit Shah added, “I am sure their induction will further strengthen the BJP’s fight for Sonar Bangla.”  BJP leader and a former member of TMC, Mukul Roy, along with his colleague Kailash Vijayvargiya were also present along with the turncoats.

Not giving much importance to the joining, Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh told a regional news channel, “It will not hamper the Trinamool at all. I just request all the turncoats to contest elections from their present constituencies only in the elections and do not switch to other seats.”

Also See: Trilateral fight in West Bengal- issue with the Left

BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy and the party’s Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya had accompanied five of the six inductees in the special flight to Delhi. Actor Ghosh did not take the flight to Delhi but was present at Shah’s home.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

These inductions were to be held in Shah’s presence at a rally in Dumurjola on Sunday but he had to cancel his weekend Bengal visit on Friday. “Shah will address the rally at Dumurjola virtually,” Dalmia said outside Shah’s residence.

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After quitting West Bengal cabinet, Rajib Banerjee resigns from TMC

Rajib-Banerjee

Days after resigning from Mamata Banerjee cabinet, Rajib Banerjee on Friday resigned from the Trinamool Congress and the West Bengal Assembly. Rajib was the forest minister in the Bengal government and represented Domjur in Howrah. This comes as another setback for TMC, which is going to contest the West Bengal elections 2021 not only against the BJP,  but also against  the Left- Congress alliance.

Banerjee met Speaker Biman Banerjee at the state Assembly today and submitted his resignation letter.

“I have resigned as the MLA of the state assembly. I submitted my resignation letter to the speaker. I thank my party supremo Mamata Banerjee for providing me with the opportunity to serve the masses,” Banerjee, a two-time MLA, said. Talking to the media after tendering his resignation, Banerjee said that he is still a member of the party but is not yet mentally prepared to take a step.

“I believe to do good for people, & party affiliation is necessary in a dynamic democracy. I will tell you of my decision in coming days”, he added. “In the days to come, I would continue to serve the people of the Domjur constituency,” he further added.

Also Read: West Bengal: a tough battlefield for BJP

Earlier, in a letter to the CM, Rajib Banerjee had said, “I regret to inform you that I hereby tender my resignation from my office as Cabinet minister being in charge of Forest department.”

The TMC has been hit by a series of defections ever since Nandigram mascot and party heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari jumped ship to join the BJP along with nine MLAs.

Also See: Trilateral fight in West Bengal- issue with the Left

On Wednesday, TMC MLA from Uttarpara, Prabir Ghosal stepped down as district core committee member and spokesperson of the party’s Hooghly unit. The TMC had issued a show-cause notice to Ghosal for making anti-party remarks.

On January 22, Rajeeb Banerjee had stepped down from his ministerial post. Speculations were rife at that time that he may quit the ruling party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the crucial assembly elections due in April-May. BJP leaders have already said that some political leaders are likely to join their party during Shah’s visit.

Shah’s weekend tour 

Shah was scheduled to land in Kolkata on Friday and would be camping in the state over the weekend for the party’s election campaign.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

“On Saturday morning, Shah will be visiting Iskcon, Mayapur. Then he will be going to Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas, a bastion of Matuas, where he will address a public rally. Later in the day, he will hold a closed-door meeting with social media cell of the party. He has some other engagements too,” a state BJP leader said.

During Shah’s last visit to the state in December 2020, former TMC heavyweight and minister Suvendu Adhikari had joined the BJP.

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TMC to GOI: No question of redrafting three farm laws, repeal them

TMC Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O' Brien

The Trinamool Congress, in the context of the farmers’ protests, urged the government to repeal the new contentious agrarian laws in the upcoming budget session of Parliament and said that there is no question of short cuts or rewriting the three farm laws.

TMC Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’ Brien alleged that the three laws were bulldozed through the Parliament’s monsoon session and remarked that he was among the eight Rajya Sabha MPs who were suspended over protesting against the passage of these bills. “All of you know TMC’s stand on the three farm laws and Mamata Banerjee’s commitment on the issue of land and farmers. In the upcoming session of the Parliament, the government must introduce a Bill and turn it into an Act to repeal the three farm laws. There is no question of taking any shortcuts or rewriting the present bills,” Brien said.

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Bengal CM & TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to fight state election from Nandigram-what could be her strategy to counter BJP

On Monday, in the run-up to the West Bengal election, to announce her candidature from the East Medinipur assembly constituency, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo, Mamata Banerjee returned to Nandigram. The move came as an attempt to take the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) head-on in what is increasingly looking to be her toughest political battle, from a place that in many ways had re-launched her a decade ago.

“I will contest from Nandigram. It is my lucky place.” she said, addressing a rally in the town, while reassuring voters from her constituency, Bhowanipore (in South Kolkata), that she would either field a good candidate, or might even contest from both seats.

Also See: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election

The move serves the twin purposes of snubbing the BJP and showing solidarity with farmers in the context of the farmers’ protests. Adhikari, who recently defected over to the BJP, had contested from Nandigram in 2016. Among those who have switched sides, Adhikari is considered to be the biggest loss of TMC. This was because he was having  a considerable influence not just in his hometown, East Medinipur, but also in Purulia, Bankura and West Medinipur. Reacting to Banerjee’s announcement, BJP President (Bengal unit), Dilip Ghosh, said that Banerjee has decided to contest from Nandigram because she was looking for a “safe seat”.

Also Read: Dilip Ghosh asked Chatradhar Mahato to leave TMC and join BJP

Adhikari, too, threw a challenge at Banerjee and said that if she is not defeated by a half lakh votes then he would quit politics. “If I am fielded by my party from Nandigram, I will defeat her by a margin of at least 50,000 votes or I will quit politics,” he stated. Adhikari, however, said that unlike the TMC, which is run “autocratically” by Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek, in BJP, the candidates are decided after discussion and it was for the party to take a call on his candidature. “I donot know from where I will be fielded, or whether I will be fielded,” he said, addressing BJP workers after a three-km roadshow.

Also See: West Bengal election 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC  

Nandigram, it may be mentioned, has a dominant Muslim population and it may not be an easy win for BJP for more reasons than one.

Political commentator, Sabysachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, dubbed Mamata Banerjee’s decision to fight the polls from Nandigram, a political masterstroke. SBR Chaudhury added, “She has cornered Suvendu on the one hand and is also trying to connect with nationwide farmer-agitation.”

The Trinamool Congress is opposed to the Centre’s farm laws. Banerjee, it may be mentioned, was catapaulted to power on the back of a farmer-movement and an agitation against land-acquisition in Nandigram and Singur. The decision can surely bring Mamata Banerjee closer to the farmers’ protests.

Banerjee is presently an MLA from Bhawanipore constituency. “Nandigram is my elder sister and Bhawanipore is my younger sister. I will give a strong candidate from Bhawanipore also. I may fight from both seats. I am requesting our party president Subrata Bakshi that they should consider my candidature from Nandigram,” she said.

What is Mamata’s strategy to counter Adhikari and BJP?

The districts of Medinipur East and West have 16 and 18 constituencies, respectively. Mamata Banerjee made a pre-emptive move by ousting Suvendu Adhikari’s father and brother from Trinamool Congress. Why did she do it? She was aware that they will also quit eventually. She wanted to view the battlefield with clarity.

Mamata is happy that Suvendu Adhikari did not launch a new party. A new party could have harmed Mamata’s political capital more. Now it is a battle clearly against BJP, its communalism, and Modi and Shah’s politics, not endorsed by a large section of Bengal-voters, according to Mamata.

Some leaders did not get importance during Suvendu’s time in TMC. Mamata has now transferred full authority to them. Leaders like Sufiyan and Abu Taher are now organizing rallies.

The actual Nandigram is 28 km from where the police firing took place. Mamata plans to hold another meeting there. She will devote more time in the area to retain TMC’s stronghold over there. Every constituency there has a significant number of Muslim voters who, according to Mamata, will not back Suvendu Adhikari as he now belongs to BJP.

Technically, the saffron party has no organization there. They are just using Suvendu Adhikari and ex-TMC workers. They are trying to win over the masses via Modi’s and Suvendu’s photographs. As a countermeasure, Mamata has put out her photographs in posters.

TMC workers are enthralled by the decision of Mamata to fight the election from Nandigram. Why? Since Suvendu Adhikari’s constituency is Nandigram, there were expected difficulties due to the sudden shift. It would also mean a chance to take the battle to the defectors like Suvendu. Although he is not contesting this election, BJP might set him up to campaign in areas where he was popular.

Mamata, in this decision, has essentially accepted Suvendu’s challenge that he had thrown at her at a recent rally saying that if she held a rally in Nandigram, he will do the same. So, now the fight will be between Mamata and Suvendu.

Apart from Muslims, many of the scheduled caste voters also may not support BJP as they have been loyal to Mamata. So, it remains to be observed how BJP will counter it.

Idea of Nandigram

Nandigram is not a single village. It is rather a symbolic crux of Bengal politics. It was through the Nandigram movement that Mamata tasted success. The movement had begun in Singur and ended in Nandigram.

In 2007, Nandigram faced a crisis when a police firing in connection with land acquisition for a 14,000-acre chemical hub project by Indonesia’s Salim Group killed 14 people. The then opposition had pegged the number of people killed at 50.

The incident brought the Opposition and the intelligentsia together who raised the slogan “Paribartan Chai”, which resounded through Bengal. Coupled with the land agitation movement led by Banerjee in Singur that drove out Tata Motors’ Nano project, it marked the beginning of end of the Left Front regime in West Bengal.

As for this year’s state election, Mamata will be holding many rallies and padayatras. And for farmers, whose numbers are significant in the area, she would be making certain announcements after February when election dates are published.

On Monday, Mamata sounded the bugle for her electoral war in Nandigram to combat Suvendu’s politics and oust the probability of BJP’s settlement in the area. Technically, Mamata wants to put a stop to BJP’s aspiration to rule in the area. And Nandigram is very symbolic in that aspect.

Monday’s crowd was pretty positive. So, tit-for-tat politics will continue but Mamata has faith in her people and she believes that only deep contact will make the victory possible.

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West Bengal is a tough battlefield for BJP-an overview from historical, cultural & economic standpoints

The upcoming election in West Bengal is more about the fight between TMC and BJP than anything else, although others have aligned themselves to put up a strong fight to both the parties. For example, the Left and Indian National Congress have recently declared their joint stand in the West Bengal election. But, the interesting thing to note is the approach taken by the saffron wing which is mostly based on religious polarization, without giving attention to the background of the state.

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

The leadership of BJP has been trying to catch the nerve and sentiments of the state of Bengal for more than two decades, but without a true and complete understanding of the background of the culture and sociology of the state. The BJP has never been able to gauge the depth of syncretism in the soul of Bengal. It goes beyond the economic realm in the aspect of understanding of the state.

The music and food of the state go beyond the narrow lens of understanding of the saffron party. Before the Durga puja, last year, with regards to food culture, the BJP was trying to peddle religious nationalism under the garb of vegetarianism through various small groups which was criticized heavily. Similar cases of ignorance are found with regards to the party’s understanding of the music. For example, Baul music and the associated culture of Bengal, which captures the essence of the rural Bengal mind, will forever elude the constricted compartmentalized mindset of the BJP acolytes who consider it no more useful than treating political leaders coming into a tribal home for lunch.  They are largely ignorant that the singers of Baul songs are influenced by an unorthodox devotional tradition which has absorbed the ideas from Hinduism, Buddhism, Sufi Islam, Vaishnavism sect, and the overall Bengali culture. Despite having been influenced by all of the mentioned segments, Baul culture is distinct from all of them. The ignorance of the BJP is more comprehensive and widespread than their incomplete grasp over the music culture of West Bengal.

While the BJP and its party leaders hint at exclusive ownership and involvement of Hindus in the cultural programmes, they can be expected to be shocked by the association between various cultures in Bengal. In the medieval age, the state had the rule of Hussain Shahi dynasty, who were great patrons of Krishna’s Bhakti literature. It is not common knowledge that they were the financers of probably the first Bengali Mahabharata, which was composed after the conquest of Chittagong by Paragal Khan, composed by Kabindra Parameshwara. This kind of historical background had laid a strong foundational ground for the growth of syncretism based culture reflected during festivals like Durga Puja where, apart from the regular Hindu ones, many Muslim murtikaars also sculpt out idols of the Goddess & her entourage. This has always eluded BJP’s understanding trained to portray the supremacy of one religion, somewhat reflective of Arya samaj. In closer familiar grounds like in UP, the BJP deliberately turns a blind eye to the association of the Nath sampradaya, the religious alma mater of Yogi Adityanath, with other communities & ideas like Sufism.

Also see: The History of Nath Sampradaya

Nearer to modern times in the nineteenth century, Bengal had witnessed sabhas and debate societies in Calcutta and the surrounding suburban regions spearheaded by the Brahmo samaj. Akshay Kumar Dutta was a progressive social reformer, who just like his contemporary Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, refused to be drawn into debates on supernatural matters and God when there were so many social maladies to deal with around. BJP would never be able to understand the gigantic impact that these thought leaders have on the population in Bengal. They would be mistaken to assume that bringing in religious denominations would fetch them political capital.  There is also the lesser-known name of Ashwini Kumar Dutta, a teacher who had been a headmaster at the Chatra Nandalal Institution at Serampore and believed in reconciliation between the groups of moderates and extremists in the Indian national congress, especially after the infamous Surat split of 1907. This idea of the sociological history of Bengal always falls in the umbra region of the BJP’s narrow understanding map.

Also Read: Journey from Ishwar Chandra to Vidyasagar & the movement of women emancipation

BJP must be thinking that they will be the first to pitch the nationalistic idea of Make in India as bait to the Bengalis prior to Bengal election. But, they do not know that the idea of industries and local consumption had its origin in Bengal. Many decades prior to independence, Ashwini Kumar Dutta had founded Swadesh bandhab samiti to promote the consumption of indigenous products. Similarly, Prafulla Chandra Ray had founded the Bengal chemicals and Pharmaceuticals in 1901 and Purnendu chatterjee, a doctorate from UC Berkeley had established the Chatterjee group in 1989. The Haldia Petrochemicals, the world’s first producer of purest quality of cyclopentane is under the Chatterjee group.

Also see: Battleground of Bengal election 2021

The factor of deindustrialization of Bengal over the later years of Left rule can be used to throw the economic tokens as baits. But, what BJP would not be able to hide is the collection of the fallouts of the divisive politics over its handling of the issue of student protests in Delhi, the CAA-NRC issue and the recent ongoing protests of the farmers, where the party is now thinking to approach the Akal Takht to help defuse the situation. It is worthwhile to note that in November, last year, the Takht had castigated the current regime of EVM-manipulation. In this regard, the BJP leadership must be concerned because as there has been effort to build a national coalition consisting of TMC, NCP, SAD, TRS and others against the saffron brigade.

Also Read: Beginning of National front- Sharad Pawar comes in support of Mamata Banerjee against the saffronisation of Bengal

BJP would be foolish to map the Bengal in the same way as the Hindi heartland states like UP and others and to incorporate the religious factors to use in the upcoming election. West Bengal just like Kerala clearly understands the cost of bringing in the divisive ideology into the state polity. Just like Punjab, West Bengal understands the cost of religious polarization, whose horrific results were borne in 1947 by both the states in terms of human lives. It clearly understands the difference between Tagore’s nationalism and the jingoism being peddled as nationalism. The state can clearly demarcate between the original Tagore and Vivekananda on one hand and a charlatan on the other.

Therefore, West Bengal would be a tough patch for BJP to consolidate and make gains in the upcoming state election.

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Forward bloc’s idea of all non-BJP parties sharing stage with TMC on the Birth Anniversary of Netaji has perplexed the Left front

The initiative taken by the Forward Bloc to include leftist parties and individuals in the same programme with the Trinamool Congress on January 23 on the occasion of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s 125th birthday has generated a sense of perplexity for the Left and has raised new questions. A section of the political establishment is beginning to see the Forward Bloc initiative ahead of the Assembly polls as an attempt to bring the anti-BJP secular forces under one umbrella.

As a result, several leftist parties, including the CPM, do not want to take any risk in this regard. At a recent meeting of the Left Front parties, the Forward Bloc leadership was asked to consider alternatives to the programme.

However, the Forward Bloc is still adamant over this approach of unison (of non-BJP forces) to the programme. However, in this situation, they are going to hold bilateral talks with the CPM. According to a source in the Front, the Netaji Janmajayanti Committee of the party has planned several programmes this year on the occasion of the 125th birthday of Subhash Chandra Bose.

Also see: Trilateral fight in West Bengal election 2021

Recently the committee has been further expanded to include representatives of non-BJP parties. Leaders of all non-BJP parties, (in West Bengal) including the Trinamool Congress and the CPM, were present at the meeting. Later, the issue of joining the ruling party in the state on one platform was brought at the centre of attention in the political arena and discussion. As a result, the left parties now want to walk the path of change. Politically speaking, to the Left front, the matter is now somewhat akin to allying with arch-rival and enemy. The front is caught in a catch 22 situation.

Left leaders feel that if Biman Basu and Suryakant Mishra walked side by side in the procession with the Partha Chatterjee on January 23, a wrong message could be sent to the people before the vote. At a recently held meeting, the front’s allied leaders asked Naren Chatterjee, the state secretary of the Forward Bloc, and Hafiz Alam Sairani, another top leader in the party, to change their minds.

Also see: Battleground of Bengal election 2021

Some observers have noted that many may apparently consider the initiative apolitical. But when political leaders step together, it is no longer apolitical. Past experience speaks for itself. Therefore, left leaders including Biman Basu and Suryakanta Mishra have appealed to the Forward Bloc to think of alternatives.

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Left and Congress ask the TMC-led Bengal government to prove majority and want the Assembly to convene

Asking the TMC-led Bengal government to prove its majority on the floor of the House, Opposition parties in the state-CPI(M) and Congress  have demanded calling of the Assembly session as early as possible. The demand was raised by the two Opposition parties amid defections of high-profile Trinamool MLAs in the past weeks. The most recent heavyweight to defect TMC was the minister Suvendu Adhikari.

“Many Trinamool MLAs have joined the BJP or have resigned from the party. Now, the Trinamool Congress leaders are afraid of any voting taking place in the Assembly. They should immediately call the Assembly session and prove their majority on the floor of the House,” Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Abdul Mannan and CPI(M) Legislative Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said at a press meet. The Assembly elections in the state are likely to be held between April and May, and the CPI(M) and Congress have formed an alliance to contest the elections together.

The two leaders also said that there are also many issues that need discussion in the House. “There are many issues happening in the country and the state also. But the ruling party is not eager to debate those issues in the Assembly,” MLA Mannan said.

“The TMC government has taken many decisions which have political and financial implications. So, the government must explain them in the Assembly,” Chakraborty added.