Jaitley rules out poll alliance with major parties in Bengal

Kolkata, Jan 8: Ahead of the Assembly polls in West Bengal, senior BJP leader and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today ruled out electoral alliance with any of the three major political parties in state asserting the saffron party would rather focus on key issues to carve out its own political space.

"We are not going to have any electoral alliance with any of the three major political parties in the state. We will rather carve out political space on the basis of issues where the party has clarity and where unrest was brewing among people at grassroot level," Jaitley told reporters after addressing the party's state committee meeting.

"Those who have destroyed Bengal and those who have destroyed the country are now sending signals to each other," Jaitley said referring to talks of an alliance between Congress and the CPI(M).

On the other hand, "the ruling TMC is trying to chart out its (own) course," Jaitley added referring to the other major political force in Bengal.

Exhorting the state BJP leadership to focus on twin issues ahead of the assembly polls, Jaitley said they would have to now pinpoint the issues - where the party has clarity of vision and also issues where unrest brewed ammong people at the grassroot level.

Jaitley even hinted that the BJP's policies on economic development and party's views to prevent infiltration into the state, besides no compromise with 'anti-national elements', could be party's key focus area in the state.

During his brief presence in the meeting, Jaitley also accused the erstwhile Left Front government of destroying the economy of Bengal during its 34-year rule.

Elaborating on the alliance issue of other parties, the senior BJP leader called upon the state party unit not to be bothered about any political alignments against them.

"Don't forget we have been successful in forming government on our own in many states," he said. Jaitley, along with some other Union Cabinet Ministers were present at the Bengal Global Business Summit organised by the Mamata Banerjee Government to attract investment in Bengal.

PTI