Backing Congress in Siliguri not a political decision: CPI-M
October 1st, 2009 - 9:22 pm ICT by IANSKolkata, Oct 1 (IANS) Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and West Bengal minister Ashok Bhattacharya Thursday said supporting the Congress in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation was not a political decision.
“We supported the Congress as we saw there was uncertainty in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation over the formation of the city civic board. Thus, we gave our support to the Congress,” Bhattacharya said.
Maintaining that the move as apolitical, he said: “We can’t support the Trinamool Congress as they are anti-development.”
“Trinamool Congress is a political party of anti-socials. So we decided to support Congress”, said Siliguri strongman Bhattacharya, who is the state’s urban development and municipal affairs minister.
The Congress Thursday formed the Siliguri civic board with the support of the ruling Left Front, leaving its partner Trinamool Congress high and dry.
Trinamool Congress, which is an ally of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre, decided to sit in the opposition in the municipal corporation after the mayoral election.
After 27 years, the Congress-Trinamool alliance managed to unseat the Left Front in the Siliguri civic body in the elections held last month. While the Congress won 15 seats, the Trinamool bagged one less, but got the support of one independent to equal its partner.
After days of tug-of-war between the two allies over the mayor’s post, the Congress won the election to the top post Thursday with its candidate Gayatri Dutta garnering 32 votes with the support of the 17-member Left Front. Trinamool’s Goutam Deb got only 15.
- Congress forms Siliguri civic board with Left support, Trinamool fumes (Overall Lead) - Oct 01, 2009
- Congress shakes hand with Left Front in Siliguri, Trinamool fumes - Oct 01, 2009
- CPI-M to dissect debacle, speculation on Kolkata mayor - Jun 03, 2010
- Mamata Banerjee: Timeline of an intrepid politician - May 20, 2011
- BJP eyeing Nashik mayor's post with MNS support - Feb 24, 2012
- We will form government for eighth time, says Buddhadeb - Mar 23, 2011
- Congress breached faith by aligning with CPI-M in Siliguri: Mamata - Oct 01, 2009
- Post UP, Bengal Congress softens stand on Trinamool - Mar 09, 2012
- Trinamool Congress activists turn violent over mayor issue in Siliguri - Oct 02, 2009
- Left Front faces debacle in Siliguri civic body polls - Sep 15, 2009
- Shiv Sena's Sunil Prabhu is new Mumbai mayor - Mar 09, 2012
- Congress-Trinamool alliance for civic polls jeopardised - May 01, 2010
- Give Congress-Trinamool a chance: PM to Bengal - Apr 23, 2011
- Congress still a deciding factor, says Bengal leader - Jun 02, 2010
- Temporary problems with allies will be overcome: PM (Second Lead) - Jan 07, 2012
Tags: affairs minister, apolitical, ashok, bhattacharya, civic body, communist party of india, communist party of india marxist, CPI, deb, kolkata, mayoral election, municipal affairs, political decision, progressive alliance, siliguri, socials, strongman, trinamool congress, tug of war, west bengal