Anxious Trinamool scurrying to CPI-M to woo back minorities: BJP

With West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee indicating her Trinamool Congress was not averse to the idea of a tie-up with the CPI-M, the BJP Saturday claimed the swaying of minority voters towards it has led to the ruling party scurrying to its traditional foes for survival.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rahul Sinha also claimed that the Trinamool was working towards a forgoing a formal alliance with former ally Congress and might have a tacit understanding with the Marxists for the 2016 Assembly polls to prevent BJP's ascent.

"Disillusioned by the Trinamool regime, a large section of the minority population is now looking up to the BJP. Already, 1.75 lakh people from the minority community have joined our party fold and this has made the Trinamool anxious and scurry to its foes," Sinha told media persons here.

"To stop the BJP, the Trinamool is working on formally aligning with the Congress and might have either an open or tacit understanding with the CPI-M for the 2016 polls," he claimed.

"We are not at all surprised, rather we welcome her decision to join hands with the CPI-M. People and her party workers will now realise that all her protests and fights against the CPI-M, which propelled her to power, was farce," said Sinha, referring to Banerjee's comments.

Averring that no one is "untouchable", Banerjee Friday said her Trinamool Congress would consider and discuss the matter if a proposal for a tie-up came from her long-time foe the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

Sinha also said that he has approached union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to seek adequate deployment of central paramilitary forces for the Sep 13 assembly by-election in Basirhat South and Chowringhee seats.

"In a detailed report I have given details of sensitive booths in both the constituencies and urged him that adequate security arrangements are made including deployment of adequate central paramilitary forces.

"Had the Election Commission performed its duties well and the Trinamool not resorted to its violent tactics, the results of the Lok Sabha polls would have been far different ... so we have urged him to ensure the scenario is not repeated during the bypolls," added Sinha.