After Tapas Roy, TMC Min bats for Left-Cong rule in Bengal; appeals voters to 'desert BJP'

A day after Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Tapas Roy appealed to the Left and Congress to put up a united fight against BJP in the upcoming assembly polls, West Bengal Minister Purnendu Basu has voiced support to the Opposition alliance.

TMC leader and Cabinet Minister Purnendu Basu said he would be "happy if the Left and Congress regain strength in terms of vote share in upcoming assembly elections." He also appealed to their supporters to vote for the alliance instead of voting in favour of the rival BJP. 

The desperate attempt by TMC to divide the Opposition votes and keep the saffron party from gaining majority has become clear with many leaders from Mamata Banerjee's fold voicing support to the Left parties. 

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TMC leader seeks support from Left, gets rejected

On Sunday, Bengal Minister Tapas Roy suggested if the Left and the Congress are genuinely against BJP, they should support CM Mamata in her fight against the "communal and diverse politics" of the saffron party. Similar remarks came from TMC MLA Saugata Roy last month. 

The invitation by Trinamool leaders was however rejected by the Opposition, which said that Banerjee's party cannot win against BJP, so they should quit TMC and join the Left fold. 

Rejecting their proposal, state senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said, "We are not interested in aligning with the TMC. Why is the TMC now interested in an alliance with us after poaching our MLAs for the last 10 years? It is due to Mamata Banerjee that the BJP has gained strength in Bengal."

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Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said that both TMC and the BJP are trying to woo Left votes after branding them as a negligible political force in the state. 

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh also reacted to Roy's remarks and said that TMC is rooting for a united fight in the elections as it has understood that it cannot win against BJP alone.

"TMC has understood that it cannot win against BJP if it fights alone. They all (Congress, Left, and TMC) should fight together. We are ready to fight in Bengal and bring change," said Ghosh. 

West Bengal assembly with 294 seats will go to polls in April-May 2021.

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