Mamata faces political dilution as Left turns stronger

Kolkata, Oct 4: Once the firebrand opposition in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee's absence in today's All Party meet,convened by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, reflects the political void in her camp to take up a cause.

The all party meet which has virtually given the green signal to the Tata's Singur project has not only marginalised Trinamool Congress,but also left the main opposition party with little option but to fall in line.

The Congress have also put forward certain clauses,that the chief minister has agreed to fulfil,but failed to stop the handover of the land to Tata Motors by this December.As a result in actual term it would mean that the industrial giant is not withdrawing from the state.

''The Congress wanted an Agricultural Commission and a comprehensive plan on the general state of agricultural land and the government is already working on it,'' state Industry Minister Nirupam Sen told reporters after the meeting.

So what had begun as a political struggle to allegedly protect the multi crop land at Singur has trickled down to a protest against the attack on the Trinamool activists on September 25.

''The main opposition should understand that industrial development in the state will receive a death blow if the project does not materialise. It was unfortunate that they did not attend the meeting, but hopefully they will understand the importance,'' Sen said.

Mr Bhattacharjee had held out an olive branch calling an all-party meeting to discuss the misgivings of Opposition parties over the setting up of the proposed small car manufacturing plant by Tata Motors at Singur in Hooghly district.

Trinamool Congress will certainly not be wanting to associate themselves with Tata retreating from Bengal and being a blockade in the industrial progress of the state. At the same time 'Didi', as Ms Banerjeee is popularly called, and her close aides need an honourable excuse to beat a hasty retreat.

The Congress, showing political maturity, attended the meeting even as Trinamool leadership maintained the status quo.

UNI