Rift in Left out in open

The rift in the ruling Left Front in West Bengal has come out in the open.

And the smaller Front partners – RSP, Forward Bloc, CPI and Socialist Party – are openly questioning the CPI-M’s policies, something unthinkable even a few months ago.

“The CPI-M’s policies are taking a serious toll on our political fortunes. Nandigram, Singur and the handling of the ban on Maoists… all these are a result of the CPI-M’s autocratic attitude and the decadence in its ranks,” said a senior Forward Bloc leader, who requested anonymity, after a meeting of the Left Front to discuss West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s “ambiguous stand” on banning the Maoists.

At the meeting, called at the behest of the smaller parties, the CM was cornered by the Left Front partners.

“How could our government, which, on principle, has shunned draconian laws like Pota, Esma and Tada (save for the Bowbazar bomb blast case of 1992) for three decades, arrest CPI (Maoist) Gour Chakraborty under the Unlawful Assembly (Prevention) Act,” a leader asked.

“The CM and Left Front chairman Biman Bose avoided the issue. It was apparent the CPM is also divided over the issue,” senior RSP leader said.