State Cong's views will prevail while deciding poll strategy :

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Press Trust of India Kolkata
Last Updated : Nov 14 2018 | 9:15 PM IST

Gaurav Googi, the AICC in-charge for West Bengal Wednesday said the views of the state Congress unit will previal while deciding on the poll strategy for the state in the coming Lok Sabha election.

He criticised the TMC-led government in the state and the BJP government at the Centre for not being interested in the developmental work for the masses and being busy in "spending crores of rupees on adverstisements".

He said the main thrust by Congress is to strenghten the organisation in the state and it will be decided by the state unit whether it wants to forge an alliance with some other party or want to go alone in Bengal.

"I am not authorised to speak on the issue. Only AICC leadership can comment on it. I can just say that nothing will be done by bypassing the views of the state unit," Gogoi told reporters here.

The Congress unit in West Bengal is in favour of fighting the coming Lok Sabha election "alone" in the state despite the party forging alliances with different regional outfits in other parts of the country in its bid to oust BJP.

The view has been communicated to Congress President Rahul Gandhi and the final call on the issue would be taken by the AICC leadership, West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Somen Mitra said recently.

The Bengal unit of the Congress feels that an alliance with either the CPI(M) or the Trinamool Congress will not serve the "long term" interests of the party. Such an eventuality will only further erode the party's base in the state though it had tasted success in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh by forging alliances with regional parties the JD(S) and the Samajwadi Party, Congress leaders said.

Gogoi said both the TMC government at the state and the BJP government at the Centre are busy in "spending crores of rupees on adverstisements" and destroying "democracy".

He was in the city to attend the two day brain storming session of the state Congress unit which was attended by all MLAs, MPs and office bearers of the party.

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First Published: Nov 14 2018 | 9:15 PM IST

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