Join anti-CPM front: Advani to Cong

Two former chief ministers of the state have expressed their last political wish in public. While one wants the Left rule to continue, the other is hoping for a change. Addressing a Trinamool Congress rally, at which BJP president L K Advani was also present, former Congress chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray today said: ‘‘I am 85 and I don’t know when I will die. But before death, I just want to see the Left Front Government gone. Let us all work for it. Let all anti-CPI(M) forces unite and fight them out of the state.’’

Just a week back, at a function organised by the non-gazetted police officers’ union affiliated with the CPI(M), former chief minister Jyoti Basu had said: ‘‘I have become quite old. But I have a last wish. I want to see the Left Front come back to power for the seventh time.’’ Apart from Mamata Banerjee, Ray, Advani and senior Trinamool leaders, today’s function was also attended by Digvijay Singh of the JD(U) and members of some other political parties including a Naxalite outfit.

A huge crowd, from all over the state, thronged the venue at Netaji Indoor Stadium where huge cutouts of leaders and tableaus were on display. During his speech, Advani exhorted the Congress to join the Opposition alliance to fight the CPI(M). ‘‘If the Congress joins the alliance it’s well and good. But even if it does not, we will have to fight together. We have here a person like S S Ray. It gives our agitation a great significance. There is no democracy in West Bengal and we will have to bring it back,’’ he said.

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Interestingly, Ray, despite his loyalty to the Congress, took a pro-NDA stand. ‘‘The NDA does not have any anti-Muslim policy in its agenda. It does not speak of Ram Mandir nor does it speak of abolition of Article 370,’’ he said.

His speech earned severe criticism from the CPI(M). ‘‘It’s evident that he is siding with the BJP. The people of West Bengal won’t tolerate this,’’ said Anil Biswas, CPI(M) state secretary.