Trinamul-Congress alliance issue yet to be resolved

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Much to the dismay of those, who want to see a change in the government in the state of West Bengal state in India through the coming state assembly elections, the much-expected alliance between the main Congress-led by Sonia Gandhi, and the Trinamul Congress, headed by Mamta Banerjee, has not been finalised and now hangs in the balance as the campaign for the polls is gaining momentum. The amicable seat adjustment between the two parties is considered a key element for effectively challenging the ruling Left front, which is in the helm for the last three decades. The Front is in power in the intellectually and politically advanced Indian state for an uninterrupted 34 years. It is for the first time the leftists are wary about their continued ascendancy in the state and most people are looking forward to the stiff electoral battle between the leftists and the opponents in 2011 polls. The Trinamul Congress has in recent times shown great strides in tearing apart the communist bastion in West Bengal as evidenced by the results of the last Lokshaba elections, followed by the municipal polls. The party, in collusion with the main Congress with which it once broke away several years ago, has achieved big gains in these polls and consequently, a strong message has gone to the Left Front that the coming state assembly (Vidhan Shaba) voting is going to see a sea-change. That will mean a change of government in the state. Is it going to happen when the electorate are going to exercise their franchise in five phases from late April to mid May? Five Indian states are going to the elections to choose their legislators and all eyes are set on the outcome of the West Bengal polls for a variety of reasons. The state is seen as politically advanced as politician Gokhle during the British days made a famous comment - What Bengal thinks today, the rest of India thinks tomorrow. This means Bengal is way ahead from the rest of India in many matters - especially in terms of political and intellectual finesse. Bengal has produced many luminaries including poet Rabindranath Tagore, the first Nobel Laureate from this part of the world winning the coveted award as early as in 1913. It has presented the sub-continent such a fiery mass leader like Netaji Subhash Bose, who had called for an armed rebellion for freedom from the British and himself had shown the way in that direction. It is not meant to say that the rest of India had not produced great sons. But the bottom line is that Bengal was at the vanguard of revolutionary ideas and changes. That Bengal was eventually divided and much later an independent nation, Bangladesh, was created through indomitable courage of the people of the erstwhile East Bengal or East Pakistan. That is another story of pride and glory. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a great son of the soil, led the Bangladesh liberation war and the people of this land set another example of heroism and bravery. Bengal is now divided as sovereign Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in India. We in Bangladesh evince great interest in the affairs of fellow Bengalees in the West Bengal and vice-versa. As such, the coming West Bengal polls are a matter of great interest and curiosity in our country. Obviously, the interests surround mainly one area -- whether the communists will be able to hold on to power in the state for another term which is five years. The Left Front leaders are confident that they are very much in the heart of the voters, despite setbacks in the national and municipal polls. State chief minister Bhuddadev Bhattacharaya says that the Vidhan Shaba balloting is fought on the different pitch altogether and he has no doubt whatsoever that the Front would be able to maintain its grip in the state through the coming polls. The front comprising several leftist parties is already in the electioneering, having announced its list of candidates. Communists and their supporters say the Left government over the years has brought about many welfare-oriented changes in the state that directly benefit the poor and marginalised sections of the society. On the other hand, the Trinamul Congress leader Mamta Baneerjee, considered by many as the "stormy Petrel" of Indian politics, asserts that the wind of changes this time will sweep West Bengal and her party will come to power in the state. Releasing the list of candidates for her party in Kolkata on Friday, she however, lamented that the much-desired alliance with the Congress has not been finalised because of some hiccups. The Trinamul will contest 228 seats in the 298-member state legislature, leaving 64 seats for the Congress. But the fact remains that the Congress is demanding more seats - initially 98 seats and later at least 80 seats - and this is proving a hard nut to crack for the alliance. However, efforts are continuing for a resolution on the seat-adjustments, although several meetings in New Delhi at the high level failed to produce an agreement. On seat arrangements, Mamata has given 46 seats of her party to the minority Muslims and 34 seats to the women. Calling upon the people for a change in the state, she says it is only a matter of days that West Bengal is going to rewrite history. But the leftists dispute that and insist that people would vote for them once again. Who will have the last laugh? The writer can be reached at e-mail: zaglulbss@yahoo.com