Congress to boycott oath-taking ceremony of TMC govt

Kolkata, May 24: The Congress, which emerged as the number two party in West Bengal in the just-concluded Assembly election, on Tuesday said it would boycott the swearing-in of the new Mamata Banerjee-led government on May 27 and questioned the rationale for the proposed "lavish" event.

"We will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mamata Banerjee on Friday," PCC president Adhir Chowdhury told PTI.

On why the party has taken such a decision, Chowdhury said, "There is no meaning in attending the programme when our partymen are attacked by Trinamool Congress workers in post-poll violence."

He said the the party was also planning a demonstration at Esplanade in central Kolkata on Friday when Banerjee would take oath as the chief minister.

He also questioned the need to spend crores of rupees for the swearing-in ceremony of the new government and said it was in sharp contrast to the severe financial crisis faced by the state.

"West Bengal is the highest debt-ridden state in the country... and when the state is heading towards financial bankruptcy, does it look proper to organise such celebration blocking the entire Red Road?" Chowdhury told reporters at the party office here.

On who could be the Leader of Opposition from Congress, which won on 44 of 294 assembly seats, Chowdhury said that the party's central leadership would take a decision on this matter.

"We have sent a few names to the central leadership," he said. Asked if the Congress would be present at the Left Front's two-day sit-in on May 25 and 26 at Esplanade in protest against post-poll attacks on its supporters, Chowdhury said, "Obviously we will be there... After all we are in an alliance."

PTI