In politics there is no permanent enemy and no permanent friend. This dictum was once again proved true when Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday called up two top CPI(M) leaders — both the party’s politburo members — Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Mr Biman Bose, and sought Left support for the presidential candidate.
Sources said that during his brief conversation with the two Left leaders, Mr Mukherjee never said that he wanted the Left parties’ support for his own candidature.
Political observers pointed out that Mr Mukherjee’s phone calls to Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Bose indicated to what extent Congress-Trinamul Congress relations have deteriorated in the past 24 hours.
On record, Mr Bose, who is also the Left Front chairman, said that the Left parties would decide their stand on the presidential poll issue only after the UPA would formally announce its candidate. “The Left parties in New Delhi have not decided on this issue. They are ready to sit for discussions. After discussing the issue, they will announce their decision. But let the national picture become more clear,” Mr Bose said.
The Trinamul Congress has four per cent votes while the Left parties have five per cent and therefore, Mr Mukherjee has played a masterstroke by reviving his ties with the Left.
Mr Mukherjee had excellent personal rapport with both Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Bose. In 2008, when CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat was hell bent on withdrawing support to the UPA-1 government, Mr Mukherjee had contacted the duo and asked them to dissuade Mr Karat from taking the drastic step. Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Bose were opposed to the Left’s withdrawal of support idea. However, both fell in line once the party’s central committee and politburo took the decision.