‘CPM’s tie-up with Cong was a blunder’

KOLKATA: The Left committed a blunder by tying up with the Congress, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday soon after her Trinamool Congress trounced the CPI(M)-Congress combine in West Bengal polls.

“It’s a major political blunder for the CPI(M) in the state. They are the big loser. They have compromised with ideology. When ideology is lost everything is lost,” she said while speaking to reporters at her Kalighat residence.

“CPI(M) will have to explain to the people why they struck the alliance with their traditional rival ignoring their ideology. But Congress is a gainer, though they have committed a mistake in national politics,” she added.

The Trinamool chief had targeted the CPI(M)Congress alliance during her campaign. “Banglai dosti, Keralai kusti” (Friendship in Bengal, Rivalry in Kerala,” she repeatedly reminded the voters.

The unprecedented alliance between the Left and Congress was always a contentious issue with the central leaders of both the parties preferring to look the other way while their Bengal leaders entered into an understanding.

“I accept responsibility for the defeat. The alliance was not acceptable to the people. We failed to win their trust. They found Mamata more credible. But in a few constituencies we (Left and Congress candidates) did fight one another and the benefit accrued to Trinamool. We told CPI(M) to withdraw candidates, but to no avail,” said state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury.