Elections will end LF govt's misrule in Bengal: Mamata

[1]

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today exuded confidence that the coming election would "create history ending the 35-year-old Left Front government's misrule" as the Marxists would not be able cling to power by dividing Opposition votes.

Banerjee launched a stinging attack on BJP, whom she described as the "big friend of the CPI(M)in West Bengal".

She also came heavily down on Independent candidates fielded by dissident Congress leaders terming them as "agents of CPI(M)".

"History would be created in Bengal. The CPI(M) would be out of power after 35 years," said Banerjee at an election meeting at this Muslim dominated Islampur constituency in the North Dinajpur district bordering Bangladesh on the last leg of her five-day whirlwind tour of North Bengal where polling would be held in the first phase on April 18 for 54 seats.

"The CPI(M) and BJP are two brothers in Bengal. The BJP is not to be seen to take up people's causes in the state throughout the year. They only appear during election and help the CPI(M) to split the anti-Left votes," she said.

The railway minister's attack of BJP, her old ally in NDA came on a day when senior BJP leader L K Advani was present in the region for an election campaign at Jalpaiguri district in North Bengal for the BJP candidates there.

"Those (Congress rebels) who are contesting as Independents (against Trinamool nominees) are agents of the CPI-M. Every time they are being fielded by the Marxists to make dent in the opposition vote bank. We are aware of it. But this time, they won't be able to make any impact," she said.

Banerjee appealed to people not to cast their votes for BJP and Congress rebels contesting as Independents, so that anti-left votes were not divided in North Bengal where the Congress has a strong presence.