Mamata contacts CPM over Election Commission row; calls MA Baby.
Kolkata. An important development has come to light in the politics of West Bengal amidst the resentment of the Election Commission and the opposition parties regarding the Special Intensive Revision of Voter List i.e. SIR. Former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has accused her long-time political rival, Marxist Communist Party General Secretary M.A. Have talked to Baby on phone. The functioning of the Election Commission, SIR and the issue of opposition unity were discussed between the two leaders.
This conversation has taken place at a time when opposition parties have raised questions on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after the recent report regarding the Election Commission. Leaders of Congress, Trinamool Congress, Left parties and other opposition parties have criticized his role at different levels and have also raised demands for his resignation. Serious objections have also been raised by the opposition regarding the SIR process.
The dialogue that started between Mamata Banerjee and CPM is being discussed the most. Trinamool Congress and Left parties have been each other’s main political rivals in West Bengal for a long time. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress came to power in the state only after removing the more than three decade old Left Front government. After this the political conflict between the two parties continued.
In this background, Mamata Banerjee’s CPM General Secretary M.A. It is considered important to call the baby directly. According to the report, the two leaders discussed the need for opposition parties to come together and conduct a joint campaign on issues related to the Election Commission and the electoral process. Mamata Banerjee has also talked about convening a comprehensive meeting on this issue at the level of INDIA alliance.
Mamata Banerjee has also sent a message to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urging him to call a meeting of the opposition INDIA alliance. The meeting of opposition parties is expected to be held in Delhi on September 30. In this meeting, joint strategy on the dispute related to Election Commission, SIR and Chief Election Commissioner can be discussed.
However, CPM currently appears to be adopting a cautious approach regarding this new political contact. The party has not yet presented it in the form of any new political alliance in West Bengal or a formal agreement with the Trinamool Congress. Reports say that the talks mainly revolved around coordination between the Election Commission and the opposition parties on issues related to the electoral process.
The situation is politically sensitive for the Left parties. Trinamool Congress has been his main rival in West Bengal for a long time. In such a situation, standing with Trinamool on any issue at the national level and maintaining its separate identity in state politics can become a question of balance for CPM.
Mamta Banerjee has been continuously adopting an aggressive stance regarding the Election Commission for the last few days. He has made serious allegations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanded his resignation from the post. He has also appealed to the opposition parties for a joint movement while raising questions on the functioning of the Election Commission and the SIR process. These allegations are political claims of Mamata Banerjee and opposition leaders, while the Election Commission has been saying that its decisions were taken under institutional and legal process.
Issues raised by the opposition parties include alleged irregularities in the voter list, allegations of deletion of voters’ names during SIR and differences of opinion within the Election Commission over decisions. The opposition is linking these developments to the credibility of the electoral process. The Election Commission has presented its stand on these allegations on different occasions and has said that the work will be done as per the prescribed procedures.
BJP has also reacted to the contact between Mamata Banerjee and CPM. BJP leaders have taunted by linking it to the changed political equations. West Bengal BJP leaders say that the parties which were opposed to each other for a long time, are now trying to come closer on the issue of Election Commission.
However, at the moment it is too early to say whether this conversation will also impact the electoral politics of West Bengal. Political competition and old differences still exist at the state level between the two parties. The current focus of the conversation is the joint strategy of the Election Commission and the opposition parties regarding SIR.
Leaders of Congress, Trinamool Congress, Left parties and other opposition parties may attend the possible meeting of INDIA alliance. During this time, efforts can be made to prepare a joint stand on the opposition’s demand against Gyanesh Kumar, questions related to SIR and the election process.
At present Mamata Banerjee and M.A. The phone conversation between Baby has started a new discussion in the politics of West Bengal. The beginning of dialogue between Trinamool and CPM, which have been arch political rivals for a long time, may be limited to the issue of Election Commission, but it has definitely drawn attention towards the changing equations in opposition politics. Now the focus will be on the possible INDIA alliance meeting on September 30 and the next steps of both the parties thereafter.