E-Paper
Trinamool sings a new tune
The Trinamool Congress has chose to distance itself from the NDA's policies, especially the disinvestment of public sector units, ?which amounted to nothing less than genocide?.
The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday chose to distance itself from the National Democratic Alliance’s policies, especially the disinvestment of public sector units, “which amounted to nothing less than genocide”. The Trinamool’s election manifesto, released here by Pankaj Banerjee, chairman of the party’s policy-making body, struck a tune vastly different from that of the NDA.
Aware of the waning appeal of the India Shining slogan but keen to blunt the Left’s stinging campaign against the Centre’s policies, the Trinamool took pains to assure voters that it would continue to oppose the current policies even if the BJP-led alliance returned to power.
“We are opposed to the disinvestment of PSUs and reduction in the interest rates of small savings and PF. And we will continue opposing these policies. We are in favour of reforms. But it should be done in the interests of the people. We will oppose random privatisation and disinvestment of PSUs,” the manifesto said. Explaining the Trinamool’s stand on the NDA’s industrial policies, Banerjee said, “All options of reviving the PSUs should be carefully weighed before giving the green signal for privatisation and disinvestments.”
The Centre should retrain and employ workers of PSUs, which have closed down or are on the verge of closure, he added.
Banerjee said the Trinamool would never dump the BJP, even if the NDA fails to get a majority in Parliament. The manifesto, though, reminded voters that the Trinamool had “never compromised on its own ideology and the interests of the common people in order to retain its cabinet berth.”
The manifesto urged the people to reduce the strength of the Left Front in West Bengal, saying this was necessary to ensure that it “fails to influence policies of the Central government.”
“The CPI(M) flexes its muscles in Delhi because it draws its strength from the large number of MPs from West Bengal. This has to stop,” the manifesto said.
Sharply criticising the Left Front government’s performance, the manifesto alleged that during its uninterrupted 27-year-rule, the state could not make progress in any sector and was even lagging behind Bihar in several areas.
