BeyondHeadlines News Desk
New Delhi: After an agreement with the TMC over seats, the Congress leadership is having to deal with anger from within the party.
Cracks in the faction-ridden West Bengal Congress after tickets were denied to party loyalists – the alliance with Trinamool obviously coming at a price.
Pranab Mukherjee and Mamata Banerjee during a press conference
Six-time MLA Ram Pyare Ram had to cede his seat to a Trinamool candidate and is now competing as an independent, like a few other Congress leaders.
“Respect is more important. I don’t know what the Congress high command has done. Our existence is in jeopardy. We have decided to save our honour. We will fight the elections as independent,” said Ram Pyare Ram, IND Candidate from Kolkata Port.
“We have no other option but to contest as independent candidates for our sheer survival,” said Abdul Khalek Molla, IND Candidate from Metiabruz.
It’s a dilemma the state Congress would like to do without. The party doesn’t have the might to square off against the CPIM on its own, but neither is its alliance with the Trinamool comfortable.
The TMC is trying to gulp us down it has been trying to do it for a long time. It’s a desperate situation. Our party workers are deserting the party,” said Deepa Dasmunshi, Congress MP.
With both the Congress and the Trinamool competing against the CPI, it’s an alliance of convenience. But will it survive the post-poll scenario? Big questions but no answers just yet.
