Kolkata: In poll bound West Bengal, the political proximity of one-time arch rivals Left and Congress is fraught with troubles. If dislodging the Trinamool Congress from power is the uniting agenda of the two camps, mutual skepticism seems to have left a crack wide open still.
Circumstances have forced both the Left and the Congress to shake hands in West Bengal, but even the desperation to stay politically afloat can't make them shed their skepticism. The Left leadership stopped short of acknowledging its alliance with the Congress, referring to it as an understanding to ensure that anti-Trinamool votes do not get divided.
"I have already explained that there will be no platform sharing. It implies everything," said West Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Bose.
The Left announced its first set of 116 candidates followed by Congress in 75 seats. So far, both sides have kept their options open for 103 of the 294 seats in the Bengal Assembly, of which the Congress expects to contest in at least another 25 seats.
"There should be no hide and seek with this alliance. The people of this state are fully aware of what we are doing. We should be more forthcoming," said West Bengal Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury.
As expected, the Trinamool Congress has resorted to verbal whiplash against its opposition.
"The Congress in West Bengal is like watermelon. It's green on the outside and red on the inside. CPI(M) is Congress Party of India (Marxist), they shouldn't be having elections in Kerala. The CPI and Congress should have a meeting in Delhi and decide on the number of seats," said Trinamool Congress spokesperson Derek O'Brien.
It has certainly been a tentative start for the Left and the Congress who are more keen to watch their steps before handing out olive branches to each other. That is where the ruling Trinamool Congress would hope to cash in, in the run up to the polls when more drama unfolds in Bengal's political theatre.
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