Kolkata:
Is the alliance between the Congress and the Trinamool over? The Congress says no, but on Saturday it named 88 candidates for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls, completely rejecting Trinamool's offer of just 25 seats.
Congress leaders hope their decision to go solo in the Kolkata civic polls won't affect long term ties with the Trinamool, but on the streets, upset over the Trinamool offer, Congress workers celebrated.
"I had a great hope that we will be able to settle our seat adjustment with the TMC. But unfortunately it was not fruitful, it has not happened. But this is a local election so we are looking forward to seat arrangements in future," said Pradip Bhattacharya, working president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC).
"When we have accepted as a leader of state level, even Pranab da said it is her responsibility to see that the moral of the Congress cadre is high," another Congress leader Keshav Rao said.
But this list of candidates could be the last straw. Trinamool ranks say it is an all out war. If Congress fights 88 seats in the KMC polls, then it will contest all the 141 and there will be no seat sharing either in the 80 other civic bodies that also go to the polls on May 30.
In Delhi, Mamata Banerjee slammed the Congress.
"We want the alliance that is why we asked for the coalition. That is the reason we spoke before and left the seat. But they have broken it," she said.
As a question mark dangles over the alliance, the Left is beginning to smile.
"Neither the Congress, nor the Trinamool can taken on the Left on their own," said CPM leader Mohammad Salim.
United, the Congress and Trinamool had given it a drubbing in the last Lok Sabha polls. Divided, the Left could well sail through the civic polls and next year's Assembly elections.
Congress leaders hope their decision to go solo in the Kolkata civic polls won't affect long term ties with the Trinamool, but on the streets, upset over the Trinamool offer, Congress workers celebrated.
"I had a great hope that we will be able to settle our seat adjustment with the TMC. But unfortunately it was not fruitful, it has not happened. But this is a local election so we are looking forward to seat arrangements in future," said Pradip Bhattacharya, working president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC).
"When we have accepted as a leader of state level, even Pranab da said it is her responsibility to see that the moral of the Congress cadre is high," another Congress leader Keshav Rao said.
But this list of candidates could be the last straw. Trinamool ranks say it is an all out war. If Congress fights 88 seats in the KMC polls, then it will contest all the 141 and there will be no seat sharing either in the 80 other civic bodies that also go to the polls on May 30.
In Delhi, Mamata Banerjee slammed the Congress.
"We want the alliance that is why we asked for the coalition. That is the reason we spoke before and left the seat. But they have broken it," she said.
As a question mark dangles over the alliance, the Left is beginning to smile.
"Neither the Congress, nor the Trinamool can taken on the Left on their own," said CPM leader Mohammad Salim.
United, the Congress and Trinamool had given it a drubbing in the last Lok Sabha polls. Divided, the Left could well sail through the civic polls and next year's Assembly elections.
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