Islampur: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday exuded confidence that the coming election would "create history ending the 35-year-old Left Front government's misrule" as the Marxists would not be able cling to power by dividing Opposition votes.
Mamata launched a stinging attack on BJP, whom she described as the "big friend of the CPM in West Bengal". She also came heavily down on Independent candidates fielded by dissident Congress leaders terming them as "agents of CPM".
"History would be created in Bengal. The CPM would be out of power after 35 years," said Mamata at an election meeting at this Muslim dominated Islampur constituency in the North Dinajpur district bordering Bangladesh on the last leg of her five-day whirlwind tour of North Bengal where polling would be held in the first phase on April 18 for 54 seats.
"The CPM and BJP are two brothers in Bengal. The BJP is not to be seen to take up people's causes in the state throughout the year. They only appear during election and help the CPM to split the anti-Left votes," she said. The railway minister's attack of BJP, her old ally in NDA came on a day when senior BJP leader L K Advani was present in the region for an election campaign at Jalpaiguri district in North Bengal for the BJP candidates there.
"Those (Congress rebels) who are contesting as Independents (against TMC nominees) are agents of the CPM. Every time they are being fielded by the Marxists to make dent in the opposition vote bank. We are aware of it. But this time, they won't be able to make any impact," she said.
Mamata appealed to people not to cast their votes for BJP and Congress rebels contesting as Independents, so that anti-left votes were not divided in North Bengal where the Congress has a strong presence. Unlike its alliance partner, Congress, the TMC has a strong footing in South Bengal and had won all its 19 seats in 2009 Lok Sabha election from South Bengal.
The party has a relatively weak presence in North Bengal and had won only one seat - Dinhata in 2006 Assembly polls.
Essaying a major breakthrough in northern Bengal, Mamata has been on a visit to various districts in the region since April 10 covering huge distances by helicopter.
The TMC leader however, had to travel by road to address today's meeting as poor visibility due to inclement weather made travel by helicopter difficult. Mamata accused the Left Front government of failing to ensure any development worthwhile in North Bengal during its tenure.
"There is not a single factory, not a good medical college or hospital or a good engineering college in Islampur, Chopra and other areas North Dinajpur district," she said. Election will be held in West Bengal in six phases commencing from April 18 for a total of 294 seats to the state Assembly.
The Congress on Wednesday suspended 12 party members, including some loyalists of Congress MP Deepa Dasmunshi, wife of ailing Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, who allegedly backed by her have filed nominations against Trinamool Congress candidates in Hemtabad, Islampur and Chopra assembly constituencies in North Dinajpur district.
Mamata expelled party's sitting MLA at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district Ashok Mondal on Wednesday for allegedly supporting the Congress rebel MLA Mohammad Fazle Haque. Trinamool has given the Dinhata seat to NCP.
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