CPI-M mocks BJP's Bengal ambitions

In the wake of the BJP's crushing defeat in the Bihar assembly polls, the CPI-M on Wednesday ridiculed the party in power at the centre over its electoral ambitions in West Bengal.

Addressing media persons here, Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Mohammad Salim also took a jibe at the BJP leadership for "washing their dirty linen in public" over the Bihar debacle.

"The BJP had been asserting it would get into the Bengal mode after conquering Bihar. Even their party president Amit Shah had declared he would conduct a rath yatra in the state ahead of next year's assembly polls.

"But after what happened in Bihar, forget rath, Amit Shah won't be even seen on path (road)," said Salim.

He also referred to the BJP's old guard including L.K. Advani on Tuesday assailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah for the electoral embarrassment in Bihar.

Former BJP presidents, Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari, in response, came out with a joint statement wherein they pointed to the "healthy precedent of the party collectively taking up responsibility for victories and defeats".

Salim said the BJP was washing its dirty linen in public.

"On the eve of Diwali, the BJP veterans had burst crackers over the Bihar poll debacle. And when the people were expecting the party leadership will resort to firefighting, the former party presidents came out bursting their own set of crackers.

"It is their internal matter, but this is nothing but washing their dirty linen in public," said Salim.

Slamming the Modi government over a host of issues including the decision of easing foreign direct investment (FDI) across 15 sectors, Salim said the resentment among the people against the BJP was growing.

"From the issue of black money in foreign banks, to the uncontrolled price rise, politics on beef and the growing intolerance, people across have become disillusioned and started to realise their mistake," said Salim, asserting that the Left parties were gaining ground in Bengal.

"People in Bengal have now begun to realise that only the Left parties can stop the combine of Modi bhai and Didi bhai (Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee)," asserted Salim.