Tag: anti-BJP alliance

  • You cannot stop private investment only in Kerala: Sitaram Yechury

    Express News Service

    KOCHI: No anti-BJP party, including the Congress, is untouchable when the Lok Sabha elections come. However, there will only be electoral adjustments based on each state’s political scenario, says CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

    In an interview with TNIE, Yechury also said when private investment is welcomed everywhere in the country, one cannot stop it only in Kerala. “We only need to ensure that the terms are beneficial for the state in the long run.”

    Excerpts.

    Q. At the party’s state conference, you spoke about why the BJP should be defeated. Do you see the emergence of a third front?

    A. Whether it’s a third front, fourth front or regional front, these are concepts that usually emerge just before elections. But in reality, looking at historical experience, whenever an alternative government was formed, the front came into existence only post-elections.

    For the sake of India and its Constitution, the BJP government must go. An alliance of electoral understanding at the state level and not at the national level is the need of the hour. At the state level, the best combination of secular forces should come to power for this and that’s what we are working on.

    Only after the elections, a national-level picture will emerge, as a broader understanding is required. Our objective is the broadest possible alliance of secular forces.

    In some states, there can’t be an alliance. For example, there can’t be an alliance with Mamata (Banerjee) in West Bengal. I think even Congress will find it difficult (to do so).

    When the numbers fall in place at the Centre, then the alternative front will emerge. The primary objective is todefeat the BJP at the national level.

    Q. There have been reports that the state unit and central CPM are at loggerheads over Congress.

    A. It’s clear in the draft political resolution unanimously approved by the party, including the Kerala unit. There’s no tussle between the Kerala CPM and the central leadership. During elections, the approach is to maximise the pooling of anti-BJP votes with the broadest possible unity of secular forces. In many states, regional parties are the major variable force to defeat the BJP. If those parties have an understanding with the Congress, we’ve no problem.

    In today’s scenario, Congress stands considerably weakened. It’s unable to rally all secular forces onto its side. The fight against the BJP should be firmly on the basis of secularism vs communalism. Opting for soft Hindutva could prove counter-productive. This has always been our stance. We need to isolate and defeat the BJP. Isolation has to be done at the mass level, while it can be defeated only through elections.

    Q. In short, the CPM doesn’t think that no non-BJP party including Congress is untouchable.

    A. No one is untouchable, but there will not be any political alliance, but only electoral adjustments.

    Q. The party has presented a development document at the conference and has drawn criticism over a change in policy.

    A. Never has the CPM said it’s against private investment. What are the terms? Is it in the interest of the state or will it end up in mere looting? The terms need to be examined.

    When private investment is welcomed everywhere in India, you cannot stop its inflow only in Kerala. Indian law allows it. Private investors will not come to Kerala based on Pinarayi’s face or my face. They’ll come only if they sense profit.

    What needs to be ensured here is that the profit is mutually beneficial or not at the expense of the people of Kerala.

     

    ‘It’s a war between Russia and US-NATO’

    Q. There is criticism within the party that the CPM hasn’t taken a strong stance on the Ukraine issue.

    A. First, the CPM has reiterated that this war of invasion is wrong and should be stopped immediately. Whatever be the provocation, war is not the solution. It should be resolved through diplomatic discussions.

    Secondly, it’s not a war between Russia and Ukraine. It’s a war between Russia and the US-NATO forces.

    Ukraine is only the stage where this is being played out. The issue goes back to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The US can’t shy away from its responsibility of being the initial trigger.

    Leadership flayed for stance on Russia

    At the state meet, the party leadership drew criticism for its failure to take a strong stance on the Russia-Ukraine issue. Referring to the party resolution, some delegates pointed out that there should be a more accurate and firm stance.

    At a time when many Keralites are stranded in Ukraine, the resolution doesn’t say anything against the war or against Russia, they criticised.

  • GOA ASSEMBLY POLLS 2022: TMC says Congress can’t defeat BJP by contesting alone

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: When the grand old party did not give much importance to the recent hint of The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) for an alliance, the latter seems to have changed its political tone on Friday against the Congress Party for the Goa assembly elections. 

    “It is high time for the Congress Party to wake up and realise its depleting strength. They are not the emperors of India”, TMC MP in Lok Sabha Mahua Moitra said on Friday.

    Sharing her statements through her Twitter handle, Moitra said that the need of the hour in Goa is to defeat BJP. “And no one should be on their high horse. All Indian Trinamool Congress will not shy away from walking the last mile”, she tweeted, adding further that the Congress Party should wake up and realise its depleting electoral strength in Goa.

    A few days ago, Moitra had suggested the Congress Party move ahead to have an alliance with the TMC for the Goa assembly election against the BJP. The Congress Party and its many leaders including the former finance minister and Congress party’s election observer for the Goa assembly polls, P Chidambaram did not give much heed to the hint of TMC for an alliance.

    Literally sounding irked at no official interest shown from the side of Congress Party over alliance for the Goa assembly polls, the TMC again predicted that the Congress Party could not be able to form government in Goa even if it gets a good number of seats.

    “The TMC is now open to an anti-BJP alliance for Goa assembly polls. And Mamata Banerjee is well accepted anti-BJP leader in public,” the TMC MP claimed. Hitting out at the Congress Party, Moitra said that the Congress Party could not be able to fight the battle against the BJP alone, so it must realise its depleting strength and come together.

    “Had it (Congress Party) done its duty well in Goa,  there would have not been a  need for the TMC to come in this state to defeat the ruling BJP”,  she averred, adding that the TMC was open to an alliance to defeat the BJP but the grand old party must come down from riding its ‘high horse”.

    She said that Goa is set to witness a fight between the anti-BJP forces and the BJP. 

    “The anti-BJP forces in Goa today are Congress Party, the AAP and the TMC. But neither of them can stake a claim that we are the only ones in the fray”, she admitted, adding that Congress is not in a position to defeat the BJP alone.

    She also stressed the need for all anti-BJP forces to come together, she said all anti-BJP forces should sit together and chalk out the way to defeat the BJP in the Goa polls.

    Taking a jibe at the Congress Party, she further said: “By Congress’s definition, Mamata Banerjee is a defector. By Congress’s definition, YSR chief and Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Reddy is a defector, But these people are the CM and running the states. It is high time that Congress should wake up to its depleted strength and realise that they are not emperors of India”.

    She further said that the people of Goa are getting well convinced that the TMC is able to offer anti-BJP platform.

    Meanwhile, sources from TMC said that the TMC has now agreed in principle to have an alliance with the Congress Party for the Goa polls but the Congress Party is not showing interest in an alliance with the TMC.

  • Mamata Banerjee to visit Delhi amid buzz over anti-BJP front

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said she would visit Delhi during the upcoming Parliament session and meet “some leaders”’ triggering speculations of forming an anti-BJP coalition to challenge the saffron camp in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Sources in the ruling party said she would spend a week from July 25 in the national capital.

    “I could not visit Delhi due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I usually go there during Parliament sessions and meet leaders. Now as the Covid situation has improved, I will go to Delhi and meet some leaders there. I will also seek time from the President and Prime Minister,” said Mamata at the state secretariat on Thursday.

    Mamata, after shattering BJP’s dream of wresting West Bengal in the recent Assembly elections, urged all non-BJP parties to come together and fight against the saffron camp. She also said each political party should support the other which is strong in its own state.

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    The buzz of forming the third front became strong after the Bengal Assembly elections as election strategist Prashant Kishor, who was hired by Mamata after her party’s debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bengal, met NCP chief Sharad Pawar twice and held a meeting with Congress high-command comprising Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, and Priyanka.

    Though Mamata said there was nothing unusual in her Delhi visit, sources in the TMC said, “She has timed her Delhi visit to coincide the Parliament session as senior leaders of opposition parties will be available. It will be her face-to-face meet with non-BJP leaders since TMC’s stupendous victory in the Assembly elections,” said a TMC leader, adding, “Mamatadi has grown up in stature after defeating the BJP in the Assembly polls and become an anti-BJP face in country’s political arena. Now she wants to reach out to anti-BJP political parties at the national level ahead of the 2024 general elections.”

  • TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to visit Delhi amid fresh talks of anti-BJP front

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit New Delhi later this month where she will hold talks with leaders of non-BJP parties, TMC sources said on Thursday, amid the renewed buzz over formation of an anti-BJP front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    According to some reports, she will head to the national capital on July 25.

    Sources in West Bengal’s ruling TMC said the party supremo’s Delhi visit could happen any day after the Martyr’s Day rally in Kolkata on July 21.

    The TMC holds a rally every year to commemorate the killing of 13 people in police firing on Youth Congress workers on July 21, 1993, during a protest led by Banerjee, who was then its leader.

    The talk of an anti-BJP front got revived after leaders of various parties and prominent individuals congregated at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s New Delhi residence last month.

    However, there was no tangible movement forward in that direction at the meeting hosted by Pawar and called by former union minister Yashwant Sinha, who is now in the TMC.

    Sinha, a former BJP stalwart, is a strident critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The speculation about an anti-BJP coalition grew again after election strategist Prashant Kishor had a string of meetings with Pawar and the Gandhis, including the one he had with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Vadra together.

    Though what exactly transpired at the parleys is not known yet, media speculated a broad-based coalition against the Centre’s ruling NDA might have been on the agenda.

    “Banerjee is likely to visit New Delhi after the 21st July Martyr’s Day rally. She may give details about her visit during her speech. The date is yet to be fixed but it will be after the rally,” sources told PTI.

    Banerjee, who is likely to spend a few days in the national capital, has apparently timed her visit to coincide with the monsoon session of Parliament as senior leaders of opposition parties will be in town.

    The sources said Banerjee may visit some other states as well.

    On her part, Banerjee told a press conference that there was nothing unusual in her visit.

    “Everytime after elections I visit Delhi to meet old and new friends. So, this time too, I would be going to Delhi for few days as the COVID-19 situation is presently under control,” she said.

    “Mamata didi has further grown in stature after defeating the BJP in the assembly elections. She now wants to reach out to anti-BJP and non-BJP parties at the national level ahead of the 2024 general elections,” a TMC leader said.

    He said Banerjee will, in all probability, meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Sharad Pawar during the visit.

    Kishor, who crafted Narendra Modi’s 2012 Gujarat assembly campaign and devised his successful prime ministerial bid in 2014, is also being hailed for drawing up the TMC’s strategy that saw Banerjee triumph over the formidable BJP in the West Bengal polls.

    The astute election manager also rendered his services to AAP in Delhi, Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh and, more recently, M K Stalin’s DMK in Tamil Nadu with great success.

    Banerjee, arguably the most doughty opposition face after the TMC’s resounding victory, now seeks a larger role in national politics and, helped by Kishor’s personal equation with a host of opposition leaders, will try to become the rallying point for anti-BJP parties.

    “This is the first step towards reaching out to them,” the TMC leader said.