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Saifuddin Chowdhury may alter Bengal political landscape

The ouster of former member of Parliament Saifuddin Chowdhury from the Communist Party of India-Marxist appears to have provided a new dimension to West Bengal politics with the Congress keen to join hands with Chowdhury ahead of next year's assembly elections in the state.

Chowdhury, who is now in New Delhi, is expected to share the dais with Congress bigwigs at a function to be held on October 21 in Calcutta. Scheduled to be held under the banner of Secular and Democratic Forum whose patron-in-chief is Congress MP Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, the Pradesh Congress Committee has given its nod for the function.

Political analysts view the meeting as the beginning of a change in the political landscape of West Bengal.

PCC chief Pranab Mukherjee told rediff.com, "I know Chowdhury since long. He has proved his credentials as a politician of repute over the years. We don't mind having an electoral understanding with anybody who wants to see the end of the corrupt Marxist government in Bengal."

Acording to observers, the new alignment would cause a considerable dent in the fortunes of the Left Front in the coming polls. Chowdhury is also expected to influence the voting pattern of a large chunk of the minorities in the state. He claims to enjoy a massive support base in Burdwan and Kutwa districts.

Says Chowdhury sympathiser and former state secretary of the Students Federation of India Tapas Basu, "Sofida's suggestions weren't unjustified. The CPI-M humiliated him despite his commitment and sincerity towards the party. Once the date for the assembly elections comes closer, you will see a large-scale exodus from the CPI-M."

Basu, having been at the helm of the Left backed students' union for many years now, enjoys substantial clout among students across the state.

Along with another expelled district secretary of the CPI-M, Basu attended Chowdhury's first press meet since his ouster from the CPI-M, in Calcutta, recently. Basu, who is yet to quit the CPI-M officially, was served a show cause notice by the state leadership.

Basu belittles the notice saying, "I have left the party, so where does the question of replying to it arise."

The Trinamul Congress too had shown interest taking advantage of the Chowdhury factor. However, the latter has made it clear that he would never join hands, even tacitly, with communal elements (read Bharatiya Janata Party, of which the Trinamul is an ally).

Chowdhury will announce his new party, Jan Tantrik Manch, in Calcutta on October 23.

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