Trinamool Congress not for another front: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Feb 12: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today urged the SUCI not to form another front against the CPI(M)-led Left Front (LF) government in the state. ''With the Panchayat elections to be held in the state shortly and its notificiation scheduled to be issued any moment now, we do not want to confuse the people by forming another front, as the Trinamool-led Progressive and Democratic Secular Front (PDSF) has already been formed,'' Ms Banerjee told newspersons here.

Meanwhile, the SUCI today said they would take initiative to form a mass committee at the grassroots level for the movement against the LF government and will hold meetings with all the other political parties in the state, except the CPI(M), CPI, BJP and Congress. SUCI state secretary Provash Ghosh advocated for the formation of a common forum, comprising all the non-Left parties, except the Congress and the BJP, at the grassroots level.

''We have already formed a 17-party front on the basis of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) agenda and will welcome the other political parties, including the SUCI, Forward Bloc and RSP, to join the front, but Trinamool will not go for another front,'' Ms Banerjee said.

She said that the PDSF did not comprise individuals, but it was a collective family.

''Our fight is not against the LF but against the CPI(M) and we have already sent letters to the other political parties to join our front and we will hold discussions with them,'' the Trinamool supremo said.

Expressing concern on the Dinhata firing and 40 Forward Bloc supporters being retained in police custody, Ms Banerjee said, ''I feel that all political prisoners should be released immediately as per the CPI(M)-led LF government's election commitment before coming to power in 1977.''

UNI