People's Democracy

THOUGH Ms Mamata Banerjee has struck an alliance with the Congress party in West Bengal for the assembly elections and claims to have left the NDA after her resignation from the cabinet, the Trinamul Congress members still sat along with the ruling coalition during the recent parliament session. The speaker of the Lok Sabha has stated that he has not received any official intimation requesting a change in the seating arrangements. So, within parliament, the Trinamul Congress continues to be part of the NDA.

When asked by the media why she had not written to the speaker for sitting with the opposition, Ms Mamata Banerjee replied that she would do so during the monsoon session of parliament, which is still months away. Thus, when Mrs Sonia Gandhi goes to West Bengal for her election campaign on May 3 and 4, she will be sharing a platform with Ms Mamata Banerjee who is for all official purposes still a part of the NDA.

To make the situation still more piquant, another top Trinamul leader Ajit Panja has announced that he is willing to join the BJP election meetings to be addressed by Atal Behari Vajpayee, if he is invited to do so. Panja is president of the West Bengal unit of the Trinamul Congress. According to him, the Trinamul Congress had not taken the decision to withdraw support from the NDA government, even while deciding to leave the alliance. He also argues that the resolution of the party reiterates its support to the prime minister even while withdrawing from the NDA.

Thus, it is the classic case of running with the hare while hunting with the hounds as far as Ms Mamata Banerjee is concerned. For the Congress party, the situation is proving highly embarrassing. After surrendering to the political line dictated by Ms Banerjee of forging an anti-Marxist front, the Congress does not have even the fig leaf of an argument that Ms Mamata has disassociated from the NDA. The people of Bengal will not fail to note the double-faced character of this alliance. (INN)