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CPI(M) holds coalition rally in Kolkata amid differences between allies
Traffic came to a halt in parts of Kolkata as more than 3,00,000 people attended the rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, the biggest open ground in the city and located in the sprawling Maidan.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI (M), on Sunday held its first mega rally with coalition partners in poll-bound Bengal with the party’s general secretary Sitaram Yechury sharpening his attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even as differences between Bengal Congress president Adhir Chowdhury and Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader Abbasuddin Siddiqui over seat sharing came under sharp focus.
Asking the crowd to oust the TMC government and defeat the BJP, Yechury said, “Many people ask me what will we do if the poll verdict leads to a hung assembly. I ask them to pose the question to chief minister Mamata Banerjee because she has forged alliances with the BJP several times. Don’t be surprised if she joins hands with the BJP again to save her seat. We won’t be able to save India unless we defeat both these parties.”
Accusing the BJP of amassing unaccounted for money to contest elections, Yechury said, “When people ask for relief, Narendra Modi names a stadium in Gujarat after himself as Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah is president of the state cricket association. You (Modi) strike off bank loans taken by the rich while land and homes of defaulting farmers are seized.”
Speeches delivered by the other speakers such as Chowdhury, Siddiqui, CPI(M) politburo member Md Salim, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel drew loud applause.
Traffic came to a halt in parts of Kolkata as more than 3,00,000 people attended the rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, the biggest open ground in the city and located in the sprawling Maidan. CPI(M) leaders alleged that police stopped a large number of people from neighbouring districts from reaching Kolkata.
While the euphoric mood of the crowd drew public attention, differences between the Bengal Congress president and cleric Siddiqui from the famous Furfura Sharif mausoleum in Hooghly district left a mark on the event.
Chowdhury stopped his speech when Siddiqui arrived on the dais in the middle of the event and people cheered to greet him. Chowdhury could be heard (over the public address system) telling Left Front chairman Biman Bose and Md Salim that he would end his speech but they persuaded him to continue. An apparently annoyed Chowdhury was even heard telling Siddiqui, “You may speak.”
Later, while addressing the audience, Siddiqui said, “Our people will support Left Front candidates in every seat they contest. The Left Front has allowed us to contest around 30 seats. You might be thinking why I did not name the Congress. I want to make it clear that we will not appease anyone. We have come as partners. If anyone offers us the hand of friendship we will accept it.”
While delivering a fiery speech, Chowdhury said, “Modi and Mamata Banerjee have the same political DNA. Both have strangled democracy. Both want to silence the opposition.”
Attacking the state and the Centre on the fuel price issue, Chowdhury said, “The Chhattisgarh government has reduced the state’s tax on petrol by ₹12 and tax on diesel by ₹4. Banerjee has reduced it by one rupee only. When the BJP came to power at the Centre, the international price of a barrel of petrol was 108 USD. Now it hovers around 62-65 USD. Yet, petrol is selling for ₹100 a litre because of the huge tax imposed by the Centre.”
Differences between Chowdhury and Siddiqui became the talking point in political circles with the TMC and the BJP losing no time in taking potshots at the third front.
“I did not have any talk on seat-sharing with the person you are referring to. We went to the rally because the Left parties invited us. We are still holding seat-sharing talks with the Left. Unless it is over how can we talk about sparing seats for others,” Chowdhury later told the media, without even taking Siddiqui’s name. He said he stopped his speech because some people in the audience were shouting. “There is nothing more to this,” he said.
“Our sole aim is to stop division in votes. If the Congress wants the same, we can reach a solution. I am ready to wait till the end,” Siddiqui said after the rally.
“Siddiqui’s presence and the speeches we heard made it quite clear what sort of secularism the new allies represent. Not once did we hear the Vande Mataram slogan. People of Bengal have received the message,” said Samik Bhattacharya, chief spokesperson of the Bengal BJP.
“The Left could hold the rally because it has its cadres but a rally is not equal to winning elections. Mamata Banerjee is the one people believe in,” said urban development minister Firhad Hakim. “One could not help take notice when people stood up on seeing Siddiqui. The same did not happen when Chowdhury rose to speak. The Left and Congress are both sick. Now they have found a crutch in Siddiqui,” Hakim quipped.
Making his first public speech in Kolkata, the Chhattisgarh chief minister drew loud applause for his sharp remarks.
“Beware of the powers that follow the divide and rule policy of the British. They (BJP) often ask what did the Congress do for India. Well, when Modi came to power he said he will not allow the country to be sold. Why are the railways and airports being sold in that case? Did your grandfather build the railways?” Baghel said.
Although the TMC and the BJP, the main contenders in the bi-polar election, have been planning to hold rallies at the Brigade Grounds, it is the Left that managed to organise the first one.
Ailing former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, 76, could not attend the rally because of his health condition. “I cannot explain the anguish I am going through for not being able to attend the rally,” Bhattacharjee said in a message that was released by his party on Saturday night. Bhattacharjee is suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
