Trinamool goes alone; Cong at crossroads

Kolkata: As the war of words continues between friends-turned-foes in Bengal, it's the Congress more than the Trinamool which faces a trial by fire. The Congress is struggling in southern Bengal and will have to fight bare knuckles in the Kolkata municipal polls.

Only numbers can keep the party afloat in the state and help it to bargain once again with Trinamool before the assembly polls next year. Local Congress leaders privately admit that is an uphill task but are still upbeat.

Senior Congress leader from West Bengal Manas Bhuniya says: "The person and the leaders of the Trinamool Congress who are alleging the Congress as friends of the CPM, they should not forget that their one MP has been increased to 19 MPs with the support of the Congress."

But Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee says, "if we have to bow our heads, we will bow before the people. Not before a fly or a CPM agent."

"Up to 30th May you wait my friend. Congress will prove its substantial presence and support of the people in Bengal and Calcutta," Bhuniya adds.

Trinamool may just have become the Congress' bigger enemy than the Left parties. But the Left leaders are skeptical. Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front in West Bengal, says: "They will try to patch up at local level, on ward basis and that happens."

The Congress high command is said to have agreed to snap ties with the Trinamool as it wants to test the party's strength before going all out for the assembly polls.

In the present context, the Congress would much rather see the Left dominating the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls than bear the ignominy of the Trinamool Congress winning it.

While the former condition would enable it to make a point or two about its relevance before the Trinamool, the latter may ring a death knell for the party in terms of gaining political grounds before next year's assembly elections.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)

#Kolkata Municipal Corporation #civiv polls #Congress #Trinamool Congress