Congress Is A Secular And Democratic Party, Says CPI(M)

Kolkata: Dispelling doubts raised by Left Front ally Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) over the secular credentials of Congress, senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty today said that the party is "indeed secular and democratic".

The Congress too reciprocated by saying that the CPI(M) was a "better and more trusted ally" than Trinamool Congress.

"I don't know what RSP said. But as far as CPI(M) is concerned we don't consider Congress as a communal party. We feel Congress is a secular and a democratic force," Mr Chakraborty said.

RSP state secretary Khisti Goswami had yesterday doubted the secular credentials of the Congress.

"We don't believe Congress is a secular party. We have to know what their policy is. Has it changed its stand as they had been with TMC before? We have presented our critical assessment to the Left Front chairman," RSP state secretary Khisti Goswami said.

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The partners of the CPI(M)-led Left Front yesterday had said the Congress should make the first move in forging an alliance for 2017 state Assembly polls and approach the Left Front in this regard.

Asked what would they do if the Left Front on its own announces candidates as the Congress high command is yet to come clear on the question of alliance, senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said, "It is true we want to fight in an alliance against the misrule of TMC. But we are separate political parties, so if they announce seats on their own it is their matter. The alliance is going on the right track".

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"The discussions are on and they are fruitful. The Left are not like TMC which humiliated us in the alliance," Mr Mannan said.

Notwithstanding the CPI(M)'s efforts to put the tie-up in place to defeat the Trinamool, a major Left Front partner the RSP was not very upbeat about it.

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"We are looking into it critically. We do accept that the people want to forge a democratic secular front against the TMC. We have to know what their policy is, have they (Congress) changed their stand, as they had been with TMC before? We have presented our critical assessment to the Left Front chairman," RSP state secretary Khisti Goswami said.

Mr Manan, a senior leader of state Congress is hopeful of the two parties (Congress and CPI-M) entering into a tie-up.

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"Our state president has already issued a statement, which itself proves that we have a green signal from the high command. We are hopeful about a final announcement from the high command very soon," he said.

Apart from the joint rallies, the CPI(M) and the Congress last month had conducted various joint programmes across the state - be it rallies or protest-marches.

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Election symbol of Hand (Congress symbol) embedded in Sickle and Hammer (CPI-M symbol) were also seen in various parts of the state calling for support to the alliance candidates across the state.

"It is the people who want to forge an alliance. It is no longer limited between parties. People and supporters outside the Left want to join this fight against undemocratic TMC and we all have to respect the aspirations of the masses," CPI(M) politburo member Mohammed Salim said.

Sources in the state Congress and the CPI(M) said talks regarding seat adjustments between both the parties have already started.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, which had witnessed a four-cornered fight, the Trinamool Congress had secured 39.7 per cent votes while the Left Front polled 29.9 per cent votes.

The Congress had polled 9.7 per cent while the BJP riding on the Modi wave had secured 16.9 per cent votes.