Mamata takes dig at Congress-Left poll alliance talk

Cocking a snook at talks on a possible alliance between the CPI-M led Left Front and the Congress in poll-bound West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the people were in favour of a grand alliance of the masses.

"The people are in favour of a grand alliance of the masses, which would be very powerful. I have respect for a political party which feels about people, goes along with the masses," Banerjee said while inaugurating the Mati Utsav (soil festival) here.

"I have respect for a political party that does not talk about destruction. If one can carry everybody on board, that is tolerance," she said.

Attacking the Communist Party of India-Marxist, she said whenever election comes near, a political party comes out of hiding and holds aloft posters saying "this should have been done, that should have been done".

Referring to the Left Front's 34-year-rule from 1977 to 2011, Banerjee wondered why they failed to perform during their long stint in power.

With assembly elections around three months away, the CPI-M has been repeatedly sending out feelers to the Congress to form an alliance to take on the Trinamool.

Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra and party politburo member Mohammed Salim had asked the Congress to take a decision on the issue.

Many Congress leaders have also expressed a desire to tie up with the Left Front.