Trinamul Congress chief Miss Mamat Banerjee said: “That is why in Bengal we have entered into an alliance with the Trinamul Congress to avoid any split in the anti-Left vote. After eight years (since 2001), we have again forged an alliance with the Trinamul Congress to give a crushing defeat to CPI-M and other Left forces”.
Mr Pranab Mukherjee too, expressed his disdain for the Third Front in Kolkata today: “What are the objectives in floating this idea? A government must have a vision, a programme. I do not know whether they have a programme? This is nothing but indulgence in theatrics,” he said.
Asked about dissatisfaction in the party's rank and file in the state regarding the alliance, Mr Kumar said he had a talk with the PCC chief and other state leaders. “There is a view among a section of the state Congress leaders that the party should have contested more seats in West Bengal. But an alliance was the need of the hour and it was done keeping larger objectives in mind,” he said.
According to the seat-sharing agreement, the Trinamul Congress will contest 27 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, leaving one to its ally ~ the Suci. The Congress will field candidates in the remaining 14 seats.
On other issues, Mr Mumar said: “India is a victim of terrorism for long and we have been able to isolate Pakistan after a long time and expose them to the world.”
