Miffed Bengal Congress calls CPM decision 'historic blunder'

Miffed over the CPI(M) central leadership's call of "rectifying the decision to forge an alliance with Congress", the party today said CPI(M) will suffer in West Bengal if it walks out of the alliance and reminded that it had first come forward with the alliance proposal.
"Although it is an internal matter of their party, but I would like to say it was the CPI(M) which had first come up with the proposal of alliance. 2.15 crore people have blessed this alliance. Maybe we have lost, but we had put up a good fight and people are looking at us to fight against this oppression. If CPI(M) wants to back out, then it is their call," senior Congress leader and party MP Pradip Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya, one of the architects of the alliance, said "We can very well understand that this decision of rectifying the alliance with Congress has been driven by blind anti-Congress stance of a section of CPI(M) leaders. I will say, if they back out of the people's alliance and betray the hopes of masses, then it will be a historic blunder on the part of CPI(M)."
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury, who has been a strong advocate of carrying forward the alliance in Bengal even after the poll debacle, said "I don't want to comment on the matter as I have not gone for an alliance with CPI(M) central leaders or Sitaram Yechury. Lets see what CPI(M) state leaders have to say regarding it. If they don't want to stay in the alliance, what can we say? We will fight alone."

The CPI(M) Central Committee, after its three-day meet, concluded that the electoral tactics of forging an alliance with Congress was not in consonance with the Central Committee decision and should be rectified.
"The Central Committee concluded that the electoral tactics adopted in West Bengal was not in consonance with the Central Committee decision not to have an alliance or understanding with the Congress.
"This should be rectified and the Central Committee stressed the importance of adhering to the political-tactical line adopted at the 21st Congress of the Party. The Central Committee authorised the Politburo to ensure its implementation in consultation with the state leadership of the party," the CPI(M) Central Committee said in a statement.