Kolkata, Nov 1 (IANS) Citing the Left’s support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) veteran Jyoti Basu Sunday made an impassioned plea to the Congress supporters to vote for West Bengal’s ruling Left Front in the coming by-polls to ten assembly seats.
“I tell all those who support the Congress that we gave unconditional support to the Congress against communalism which was in the interest of the country,” the CPI-M patriarch said in a signed written statement here.

“Today, when the state is in danger, I specially request them to come forward and support the Left candidates to maintain peace, discipline and development,” said the statement, which is being interpreted as yet another attempt by the Marxists to drive wedge between the Congress and its alliance partner Trinamool Congress.

Accusing the Trinamool and the Maoists of being hand-in-glove in perpetrating violence to endanger democracy in the state, Basu said it was time for all to come forward and support the Left for the sake of peace and development.

The appeal from the nonagenarian former chief minister, who has been ailing for over a year, came when the CPI-M led Left Front is passing though the worst phase of its 32-year unbroken reign.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-Trinamool combine decimated the LF by winning 25 of the total 42 seats. Trinamool’s alliance member Socialist Unity Centre of India bagged one seat, while the ruling coalition parties got only 15. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also secured one seat.

The opposition juggernaut has rolled on even after their Lok Sabha success, as they carved out spectacular wins in assembly by-elections and local body polls, raising serious questions about the LF’s fortunes in the 2011 assembly elections.

The bypolls to ten assembly seats are slated Nov 7.