By giving free rein to the TMC in the distribution of seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha and the 2011 Assembly elections, the central leadership indicated that it had less faith in the State Congress and more in the TMCs abilities. The interest of the State Congress was relegated to the background as the leadership was in a hurry to reach an electoral understanding with an aggressive Trinamool.
Today it is time for introspection. The PCC [Pradesh Congress Committee] was not given adequate support, so in the change that came about, the Congress did not have the scope to strengthen its own position. We did not want equal partnership, but certainly not this kind of treatment. There was hardly any negotiation with the Trinamool Congress when it came to seat adjustment.
An ideological campaign has begun in West Bengal. Here the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) will be campaigning against economic reforms. None of these parties can have any seat adjustments with each other and, therefore, will have to compete against each other while campaigning on the same issue, whereas, the Congress is assured of not only its own votes but also that of those who support economic reforms. So, it is actually advantageous for the Congress. We are taking a calculated risk, because what is good economics may prove to be good politics, too. Our job is to make economic reforms the major electoral plank. Vote for stability at the Centre. Do not discount the support from business and industry, the media, and the middle-classthese are the opinion makers.
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