CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday categorically ruled out any kind of understanding, overt or covert, with the BJP against West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress in the forthcoming panchayat elections.
The assumption of such a covert grand understanding against the Trinamool had been the recent talking point in the political circles in the state primarily because of the the "no vote to Mamata" slogan coined by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. The assumptions of a clandestine grand opposition have also surfaced over the recent statements by other senior BJP leaders like its national Vice President Dilip Ghosh and the state President Sukanta Majumdar, calling for a united opposition of the people against the state's ruling party for the forthcoming rural civic body polls.
"Our stand is clear that we are fighting against BJP throughout the country. Now whatever they are saying are their responsibilities. They will say a lot of things to mislead the people. So, no question from our side to have any understanding with BJP," Yechury said while addressing media persons here.
He was in Kolkata to attend a two-day meeting of the party to review the preparedness of the party for the forthcoming panchayat polls. In the review meeting of the last two days, the party leadership also cautioned about not getting trapped in such propaganda by BJP especially among the grassroots-level workers.
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Yechury also said that there is no guarantee that the Trinamool will not again have an understanding with the BJP in future. "As we all know that Trinamool Congress was part of National Democratic Alliance in the past. Is there a guarantee that Trinamool Congress will not again be a part of the alliance in future?" he questioned.
Meanwhile, a state committee member of the party said that the party has finalised almost 70 per cent of the candidates for the polls for the three-tier panchayat system. "Besides making hardcore party members the candidates, this time, some non-members with clean image in the locality will also be fielded as candidates," he said.
