Trinamool to maintain distance from CPI(M),Cong: Mamata

Hoogly, Feb 17 (UNI) Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in the party's district commitee meeting at Rajhat near here, has clarified that her party will maintain an equal and safe distance from the Congress as well as BJP in the panchayat polls to be held in May.

Talking to mediapersons in an open forum, Ms Banerjee accused the Congress of working as the CPI(M)'s mouthpiece.

She also alleged that the Congress was against CPI(M) only in West Bengal but supported it elsewhere. ''We can't approve of such dual- character of the party,'' she added.

''Since last nine years we have been trying to involve the Congress to fight against the CPI(M) government but the party has never supported us,'' she stated adding that instead it supported CPI(M) even in Singur and Nandigram issue in which several farmers were killed and many lost their land last year following state government's illegal land acquisition.

She also alleged that in 2001 Assembly elections, her party had allied with Congress against the CPI(M).'' Congress cheated us by defeating us in 77 seats,'' she said.

''We will never ever again form any alliance with the Congress,'' the Trinamool chief added.

She further said that Trinamool was not against the Left ideas but against the ruling CPI(M).

''We will contest the coming panchayat election all alone and will win it,'' she said adding that the party has urged the state governor to not allow use of EVMs during the polls as there were chances of rigging.

She also demanded for an CBI investigation against the state government for passing a order to print about one crore 60 lakh ration cards just before the polls.

UNI XC PP BA RAR RN2026