Kolkata:
Taking on the Left Front in its own backyard for its "overall failure", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern over the law and order situation in West Bengal and called for a political change by ousting the Front and electing the Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance.
Addressing a joint campaign with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee at Dum Dum before the third phase of Assembly elections in the state, he said, "The law and order situation in the state is a matter of grave concern. The Centre has to deploy forces in places like (Maoist dominated) Jhargram to keep the situation under control."
He said if the Congress-Trinamool Congress combine came to power after the elections, its first task would be to bring peace and all-round development, the Prime Minister said.
"You gave the Left Front 34 years to rule. Over this period, the chariot of the administration has come to a halt. The government has no concrete policy about agriculture and industry. It has no clear vision for the future. Now is the time for a change," he said.
Amid applause from the audience, the Prime Minister said Congress president Sonia Gandhi had dispatched him with a message to the people to elect the Congress-Trinamool Congress government in Bengal.
Dum Dum, regarded as a Left stronghold, would witness a fight between playwright Bartya Basu of Trinamool Congress and CPM star campaigner and Housing minister Goutam Deb.
The joint campaign, where Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was also present, was aimed at boosting the prospects of the alliance.
Singh addressed another election rally at Katwa in Burdwan district earlier in the day in support of the alliance.
The Prime Minister said it was "unfortunate" that the state government had failed to utilise central funds for schemes like MNREGA, National Rural Health Scheme, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and the PMGSY.
"The Left Front accuses the Centre of discrimination against the state, but it cannot spend Central funds. It must be pondered why the state government cannot use the funds sent by the Centre," he said.
Noting that West Bengal has slipped from its pre-eminent position in industry and was now lagging behind in many states, he said that the manufacturing, tea and tourism industries were in bad shape.
"The Left Front government has lost the confidence of the people and investors. How can the youth be given employment without infusion of investment?" he said.
Referring to the Sachar Committee report which indicates that Muslims in West Bengal were among the worst off in the country, the Prime Minister said that members of the community in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Assam had better representation in government jobs than those in West Bengal.
"The Left Front government is responsible for this," he said.
Lamenting the fall in the standard of education in Bengal, the Prime Minister quoted the latest census report to say that even small states like Manipur and Nagaland were ahead of Bengal in literacy.
"A change is necessary. If the Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance is voted to power, it will take steps in improving education, health and employment opportunities," Singh said.
The Prime Minister, who described Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as a very senior leader and a great help in running the Union government, also had a word of praise for Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying that she was doing very good work for the people of Bengal.