CPM plays down Nalhati victory

The CPM's victory in the Nalhati Assembly bypoll in Bengal amid the party's thumping victory in Tripura Assembly elections have cheered up the party leaders in Bengal. But they are cautious not t read it as a sure-shot sign of revival of the party's base in the state, where it lost to Trinamool Congress two years ago.

The CPM leaders understand and admit that Nalhati bypoll result was more of a split in the Trinamool and Congress votes. "More than the CPM win in Nalhati, the Trinamool should be worried about the anti-incumbency votes. About 70 per cent of the people who had voted for the Trinamool two years ago, have voted against the party this time," said CPM leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Surya Kanta Mishra.

Terming, the party's victory in Tripura as against all the odds, he said: "At a time, when there is an all out effort to eliminate the CPM, the party has emerged victorious and that too in a comprehensive fashion." Mishra said the result in Tripura and back home in Nalhati would not let any complacency to creep in. "We are fighting and will keep up the fight," he said.

Party heavyweight Rabin Deb said he was happy about the Tripura victory and said it was the result of the positive, pro-people steps taken by the government. "Chief Minister Manik Sarkar also maintained a consistency in keeping unity and harmony among the people in Tripura. But the win in Nalhati bypoll in Bengal was more of a result of the broken alliance of the Trinamool and Congress. It was more of a battle between the two parties," he said.

CPM leaders feel that the policies of the Trinamool government have not gone down well with the people, but they refrain from predicting anything about the outcome of the panchayat election, scheduled for later this year. "It is too early to comment about the panchayat election because we do not know yet if the Congress and the Trinamool would be back fighting together against the CPM, looking at the abysmal result of them fighting singularly," said Deb.

... contd.

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