Author: Saugar Sengupta
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 10, 2009
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/175155/Sonia-Rahul-ditch-Mamata.html
Saturday's summer heat pierced through the
record 42 degrees barrier in Kolkata. The Congress-Trinamool Congress newfound
equation, however, started freezing with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi suddenly dropping the city from their
campaign itinerary.
The two leaders who were supposed to campaign
for Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee give her the slip with Sonia preferring
to pay a visit to a stronger ally in ailing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi,
Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee sources said.
The Trinamool leadership was surprised but
quickly absorbed the setback to put up a brave front. While publicly they
attached "little importance" to the issue "being raked up unnecessarily
by the media", party insiders said they felt "cheated" and
would talk of it after the elections.
"For Mamata Banerjee it (not coming of
Ms Gandhi) hardly matters because her voters are her real allies," said
senior leader Madan Mitra. "There was hope among the people who wanted
to see both Gandhi and Banerjee on the same platform. However this will make
no difference," a Trinamool MLA said.
Another party leader said, "some alliance
partners are backstabbing us like they did in 2001. They took our help in
earlier rounds and in constituencies where our support mattered. But now they
are backtracking where our party is stronger."
Bengal Opposition leader Partho Chattopadhyay,
however, felt last-minute changes were not new during election campaigns.
He however sidestepped the question as to why both the leaders chose to avoid
Banerjee's meetings in Kolkata.
Inside sources in both the parties confirmed
if AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi's mollycoddling the Left led his alliance
partner Trinamool Congress to "sabotage" the Congress in Jangipur,
Murshidabad and Behrampore, Sonia's not coming to Kolkata was a sweet revenge.
Experts, however suggested Sonia's decision
to skip Kolkata was a ploy to appease the Left for a future alliance in the
Centre. A jubilant section of PCC leaders led by seniors like Shankar Singh
and Abdul Mannan felt "encouraged" saying the "Trinamool has
sustainedly sabotaged us in Raiganj, Murshidabad and Bankura."
Mamata, who has been facing a stiff challenge
in her constituency, however refused to comment at this juncture.
