Deep differences emerge in Bengal Congress over agreement with Trinamool in ‘India’ alliance

Kolkata (IANS). Serious differences are beginning to emerge in the West Bengal unit of the Congress on the issue of a deal with the Trinamool Congress at the national level in the backdrop of the vast opposition platform of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (India).

The differences have come to the fore over a comment by West Bengal state party president and five-time Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who himself has been one of the vocal voices against his party’s deal with the Trinamool Congress.

Chowdhary said, “If India is like a ‘river’, then West Bengal is like a ‘pond’. So in the present situation we are compelled to lay more emphasis on that river than on the pond.”

In response, state Congress leader and Calcutta High Court lawyer Kaustav Bagchi issued a social media post indirectly ridiculing the party’s state president with references to “river” and “pond”.

Bagchi wrote on his social media post, “I do not understand the concept of river and pond. All I can understand is that the state Congress cannot be seen as a guinea pig in the interest of New Delhi. Trinamool Congress will remain a party of thieves for us. For us Trinamool Congress will remain that political force which is responsible for the murder of democracy in West Bengal.

Already facing murmurs of discontent among grassroots party workers, the CPI(M) Central Committee has announced that the concept of an India-alliance will not be applicable to the party in the context of West Bengal. Now it remains to be seen whether the Congress high command also makes a similar announcement in this regard in view of the growing tussle between the party leadership in West Bengal.

Earlier too, Bagchi had been vocal against Congress national leaders and high-profile lawyers like P. Chidambaram and Abhishek Manu Singhvi for fighting cases in the Calcutta High Court and Supreme Court on behalf of the Trinamool Congress.