The Bengal panchayat elections will be another test for Opposition unity after the Delhi ordinance, as three parties — the Congress, the Trinamul Congress and the CPM — which participated in the Patna meeting last week tear into each other on the campaign trail in the state.
“Democracy is being murdered in Bengal. Across the country, the BJP is murdering democracy and in Bengal, Trinamul is aping it. We will fight both,’’ said CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday while briefing the media after a politburo meeting.
Asked if there can be an electoral understanding or adjustment in Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections next year, Yechury said: “Yes, between the Congress, the Left and other secular parties.”
When specifically asked if Trinamul could be a part of this, he put the onus on Bengal’s ruling party. “It is up to the TMC. They say they want democracy in India but they murder democracy in Bengal,” Yechury said.
Asked about the AAP’s tirade against the Congress for not taking a stand on the Delhi ordinance at the Patna meeting, Yechury said: “All parties, including the Congress, said nobody who supports the rule of law can support the Delhi ordinance. The AAP wanted the Congress to issue a statement. But the Congress pointed out that this was not on the agenda of the Patna meeting.”