Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was speaking near Tata's abandoned car factory in Singur, protests against which had led to his party's defeat in 2011 elections.
Kolkata:
For the first time ever, former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today virtually asked Congress to decide if it wanted an alliance with Left against Mamata Banerjee's ruling Trinamool Congress for Assembly polls in the state now just two to three months away.
Speaking at Singur, the site of the abandoned Tata Nano factory, the CPI-M leader Mr Bhattacharjee said, "We have to save the state from ruin. All parties have to think how. We are also asking the Congress, on which side are you in this fight? To save West Bengal, we are telling everybody, come, let's join hands."
Last month, during the Communist Party of India-Marxist's plenum in Kolkata, top leaders were repeatedly questioned by the media about the possibility of an alliance with the Congress. No leader had dismissed it outright. "On the ground, there is a demand by the people," general secretary Sitaram Yechuri had said, adding, "The state unit will decide."
Even though sections of the Left are said to be against an alliance with the Congress, given their equation in Kerala, a number of Congress leaders have written to their chief Sonia Gandhi, contending that an alliance is the need of the hour to defeat the Trinamool.
Today, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury has said, "The high command has to decide."
Mr Bhattacharjee's call to the Congress came at a rally at Singur to flag off a march to Salboni, two places where he had tried to set up industry as chief minister and failed.
At Singur, the Tata small car factory had to be abandoned in the face of ferocious opposition by Mamata Banerjee over forcible land acquisition.
At halboni, Mr Bhattacharjee had laid the foundation stone for a Rs 35,000 crore steel plant by the Jindals but a violent Maoist uprising in the area put paid to it.
With his attack on the Trinamool from Singur, the CPI-M today almost announced that their main poll plank against Mamata Banerjee would be her "failure" to attract industry to Bengal.
Mr Bhattacharjee directly attacked the Trinamool saying, "The ma-mati-manush jatra (theatre) cannot continue. It is time to bid it goodbye."
The Trinamool has dismissed Bhattacharjee's visit to Singur and his attack on the party. "A criminal will always return to the scene of crime. People have not forgotten what he did at Singur," said Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee. "
"His visit is a reminder to farmers of the CPI-M's atrocities during their regime," said Urban Affairs minister Firhad Hakim.
Speaking at Singur, the site of the abandoned Tata Nano factory, the CPI-M leader Mr Bhattacharjee said, "We have to save the state from ruin. All parties have to think how. We are also asking the Congress, on which side are you in this fight? To save West Bengal, we are telling everybody, come, let's join hands."
Last month, during the Communist Party of India-Marxist's plenum in Kolkata, top leaders were repeatedly questioned by the media about the possibility of an alliance with the Congress. No leader had dismissed it outright. "On the ground, there is a demand by the people," general secretary Sitaram Yechuri had said, adding, "The state unit will decide."
Even though sections of the Left are said to be against an alliance with the Congress, given their equation in Kerala, a number of Congress leaders have written to their chief Sonia Gandhi, contending that an alliance is the need of the hour to defeat the Trinamool.
Today, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury has said, "The high command has to decide."
The Left launched a protest from Singur to Salbani, demanding industry and jobs.
At Singur, the Tata small car factory had to be abandoned in the face of ferocious opposition by Mamata Banerjee over forcible land acquisition.
At halboni, Mr Bhattacharjee had laid the foundation stone for a Rs 35,000 crore steel plant by the Jindals but a violent Maoist uprising in the area put paid to it.
With his attack on the Trinamool from Singur, the CPI-M today almost announced that their main poll plank against Mamata Banerjee would be her "failure" to attract industry to Bengal.
Mr Bhattacharjee directly attacked the Trinamool saying, "The ma-mati-manush jatra (theatre) cannot continue. It is time to bid it goodbye."
The Trinamool has dismissed Bhattacharjee's visit to Singur and his attack on the party. "A criminal will always return to the scene of crime. People have not forgotten what he did at Singur," said Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee. "
"His visit is a reminder to farmers of the CPI-M's atrocities during their regime," said Urban Affairs minister Firhad Hakim.
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