The Hindu : National : ‘Winds of change will blow in West Bengal in 2011'

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National

‘Winds of change will blow in West Bengal in 2011'

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: The Congress and the Trinamool Congress are “together” in their bid to drive out the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from West Bengal, “but it ought to be realised that such a joint effort calls for mutual respect and cannot be one-sided”, Manas Bhunia, president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) said at a public rally at Mangalkot in Bardhaman district on Thursday– the first to be addressed by him since assuming charge last month.

“We will have to ensure that relations between us (the Congress and the Trinamool Congress) is orderly at the lower levels”, Dr Bhunia said as he announced that the WBPCC along with the Youth Congress will organise a rally at Khejuri in Purbo Medinipur district later this month.

It was near Khejuri that All-India general secretary of the Youth Congress Usha Naidu and her associates were threatened and prevented from holding a rally earlier this week, allegedly by the activists of the Trinamool Congress. The Congress leadership has taken serious note of the incident.

“We criticise the Left Front for trying to subvert democracy. But the people in Purbo Medinipur are free. So why cannot all political parties hold rallies there?” he asked.

The day marked the first anniversary of the attack on nine Congress MLAs during their visit to the area. The Congress leadership claimed that “those who had tried to kill their legislators” were activists of the CPI(M).

“The people have already expressed their desire for change….They are set to punishing the CPI(M)-led Left Front government for its misdeeds of the past years”, Dr Bhunia said. “This government will have to go….The winds of change will blow in 2011 (the year of the next Assembly polls)”, he added.

Dr Bhunia said that the message of Congress president, Sonia Gandhi to the State Congress leadership was “reach out to the people; build the party organisation”.

“I will strive towards that end; the leadership will be collective; the party's main asset will be its workers and supporters….The Congress is against terror for terror; ours will be a ‘live and let live' policy”, he asserted.

Ms Gandhi is expected to attend the Eastern Zonal Conference to mark the 125 {+t} {+h} anniversary of the Indian National Congress to be held in the city between September 22 and 26. “The event will mark a turn-around for the Congress in the State”.

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