Even as Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has lent full support to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her protest against the Centre’s “misuse” of CBI, the state unit of his own party has disagreed and declared that it will hold a massive protest against the Trinamool Congress for its alleged involvement in the chit fund scams.
The Congress party in the state will organise a rally on February 6 to demand the immediate conclusion of the investigation in Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams, refund to the investors and immediate arrest and prosecution of the accused in the Narada scam.
Speaking to the media, state Congress president Somendra Nath Mitra, said, “At the national level, our stand is to be with all the parties including Trinamool who are against the BJP. But in the state politics, state Congress will fight with both the TMC and the BJP.”
Mitra alleged that the TMC forced 14 Congress MLAs and Malda MP Mausam Noor to join the party, killed supporters and worked against the democratic structure. “Given this, how can you expect me to join hands with the TMC in Bengal?” asked Mitra.
Mausam Noor had met chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat – Nabanna – on January 28 and joined the TMC.
The different stands taken by the party top command in Delhi and the state unit once again betray the differences over forming an alliance in the state. While Mamata has held talks with Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in the past, the state unit has made it clear that it is averse to sharing seats and wants to contest solo.
Mitra, who has returned to the Congress fold after a stint with the TMC, has claimed that a majority of the state Congress leaders are in favour of going solo in the polls even if it meant failure of the party to win even a single seat in Bengal.