Bengal political parties attack Modi

Flaying the BJP, its political rivals in West Bengal Wednesday faulted the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for dragging the nation's highest office into a controversy that also smacked of hypocrisy.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose said Modi's soft stand on Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was a ploy to "keep the door open" for post-Lok Sabha poll negotiations.

The Gujarat chief minister launched the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign in the state Wednesday with a rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds here.

"Actually I feel that Modi has kept open the door for Trinamool Congress so they can negotiate in the post-poll situation... that is why they didn't criticise the state government (in the rally Wednesday)," Bose told the media here.

Modi accused the Congress and the Gandhi family for denying the post of prime minister to Pranab Mukherjee twice - in 1984 and 2004 - despite his qualifications.

Bose dubbed it hypocrisy.

"Today she shows sympathy for Pranab (Mukherjee). But he and his party didn't show any sympathy for Pranab during the presidential election," he said, alluding to the BJP opposing Mukherjee's candidature during the presidential polls.

The Trinamool Congress said it did not need any certificate from Modi on its governance.

"People of Bengal have been witness to Mamata Banerjee's struggles, We don't need anybody's certificates," said state urban development minister Firhad Hakim.

Modi had said West Bengal would benefit if people voted for the BJP in the general election while Banerjee continued to usher in development in the state.

But he also made a veiled criticism of the Banerjee regime, by asking the people whether they have got the "parivartan" (change) they had hoped for when they voted for the Trinamool in 2011.

State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya condemned Modi for dragging the nation's highest office into a controversy. "What he has done is not proper or good, it is condemnable," he said.