Amid growing speculations surrounding a national-level political alignment between the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) over the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar controversy, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday took a sharp dig at this emerging bonhomie, describing it indirectly as a marriage of convenience. Adhikari's remarks follow a recent media report that highlighted an exchange of messages between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby during internal disagreements among top Election Commission of India officials regarding the Special Intensive Revision process.
A Bid for Political Survival
Adhikari asserted that the communication between M.A. Baby and Mamata Banerjee was clearly aimed at forging a political understanding. He remarked that there was a time when the people of West Bengal entrusted power to the Trinamool Congress specifically to oust the CPI(M) from governance. However, the political landscape has shifted to the extent that the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) have now become allies. He claimed that this alliance is merely an attempt to stay politically relevant, though such maneuvers will fail to alter their standing within the state.
Voter List Revision and Court Orders
The opposition leader also addressed Mamata Banerjee's allegations accusing the Special Intensive Revision of wrongfully deleting the names of over 27 lakh genuine voters in West Bengal. Adhikari stated that the Chief Minister is unnecessarily shifting the blame for her electoral setbacks onto the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Election Commission, and the revision process itself. He pointed out that Mamata Banerjee had actually approached the Supreme Court against the revision, and it was only following the Supreme Court directives that judicial officers were appointed to handle the process and make the final decisions.
Failure to Accept the Mandate
Adhikari further alleged that opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, are using the revision process as a convenient excuse for their defeats in subsequent elections. Highlighting past electoral figures, he noted that the BJP secured 208 seats while the Trinamool Congress was reduced to just 80 seats. He argued that Mamata Banerjee is simply unable to stomach the clear verdict delivered by the public, adding that she has even lost control over the name and symbol of the very party she once created. Additionally, he mocked the noticeably thin turnout of Trinamool Congress supporters at a rally addressed by Mamata Banerjee on Saturday afternoon in Srirampore, located in the Hooghly district.
