Mamata calls for an end to 'Marxist misrule' in WB

Kolkata: After battering the Left in its bastion in the Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday called for an end to "Marxist misrule" in West Bengal, claiming it will come "within a year".

"This is the time to bring change. People have rejected CPI(M) in the Lok Sabha elections. They should think of a bigger change and remove the CPI(M) from the state, Banerjee, told the party's Martyrs Day rally here, which turned into a show of strength.

The Railway Minister, who has been urging for the Assembly elections to be held earlier, while they are due in 2011, said for the change people "should wait patiently for one more year".

Stating that many had thought that the CPI(M) could not be defeated in Bengal, she said, "it has been proved wrong. The CPI(M) lost badly. The CPI(M) government which oppressed the people will be changed."

The change in the state would, however, not come about through "blood for blood policy", but through peaceful means, she said. "The CPI(M) uses terror against its opponents, but we will maintain peace and mobilise the people.

"After the Lok Sabha polls, the expectations of the people have gone up. We have to play a constructive and positive role."

Lakhs of party supporters turned up for the rally.

Banerjee reiterated that the party would not call bandhs and blockades unnecessarily which only led to disruption of normal life.

Virtually turning the rally into a campaign for the Assembly elections, she promised that if the Trinamool Congress came to power in the state it would give an impartial administration, clear "the mess" in the health and education besides providing electricity in every village.

Equal emphasis would be given to both industry and agriculture, she told the rally called to mark the death of 13 Youth Congress workers on this day in 1993 in police firing during an anti-government protest when she was the YC chief.

The rally started with Magsaysay award winning writer Mahesweta Devi being felicitated, as also the families of the 'martyrs' of Singur and Nandigram, besides the mother of computer graphics teacher Rizwanur Rehman.

Also present were AICC in-charge of the state K Keshava Rao and Congress MPs Mausam Noor and Abu Hashem Khan Chowdhury.

Banerjee said AICC President Sonia Gandh, General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had wished the rally a success through Rao.

Bannerjee said the party would be revamped to bring about the political change in the state.

She also appealed to the Centre to take steps to recover the "huge illegal arms" allegedly stockpiled in the state.

Keshav Rao said that the alliance between the two parties would continue.

The massive rally, in spite of rains, spilled over from central Kolkata to all nearby major roads bringing traffic to a complete standstill for nearly five hours.

Party workers and supporters descended on the metropolis from the districts and as far away as north Bengal since Saturday by trains and buses.

The rally began with songs being sung by party MP and singer Kabir Sumon who teamed up with another singer Nachiketa.

Among speakers was the Shahi Imam of Tippu Sultan Mosque Nurul Rehman Barkati.