IndianExpress.com :: ‘The party must find an answer why we are voting with the BJP’

IndianExpress.com :: ‘The party must find an answer why we are voting with the BJP’


Front Page

‘The party must find an answer why we are voting with the BJP’
Ravik Bhattacharya
Posted online: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 0210 hrs Print Email

KOLKATA, JULY 15: CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat may draw precedents from pre-Babri Masjid political history to justify voting with the BJP. But on the ground in West Bengal, where his party matters more than anywhere else, there is growing disquiet — and it’s getting increasingly vocal.

Related Stories

Karat justifies voting with BJP: Cong did it too to pull down 3 govtsSomnath won’t play ball, Karat leaves it to ‘Comrade’The importance of being Jyoti BasuSpurned by Mulayam, Karat walks into his enemy Maya camp
Ad Links

Online Voter Registration India Book Pakistan Television

Of the 235 Left Front MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly, 34 are Muslim, 24 of them are from the CPM. And although each one of them will only watch the trust vote from the sidelines, they are the ones who will have to face their own trust vote come elections.

The Indian Express contacted several such MLAs and at least six of them categorically stated that voting with the BJP will erode the party’s “hold” on the Muslims and make them doubt its “secular” credentials. These MLAs come from constituencies where, on an average, 20% of the residents are Muslim. Consider their responses to “How does voting with the BJP affect the party in your constituency?”

•Sheikh Mujibar Rahman, CPM MLA from Moyna (Midnapore): Already, news has started doing the rounds about the Left voting with BJP. In villages, we are facing questions from Muslim voters about it. I do not know how we will tackle this when elections come. There is no denying that a section of the Muslim voters have moved away from us as was evident during the Panchayat polls. The party should consider this. The Trinamool and the Congress have already taken up the issue and have begun a whisper campaign in our villages.

•Abdus Sattar, CPM MLA from Amdanga (North 24-Parganas) & State Minister for Minorities Development: “Why me? I cannot answer this controversial question. I am a small man, why don’t you ask our party bigwigs about it?”

•Yunus Ali Sarkar, CPM MLA from Jalangi (Murshidabad): “I have to follow the party line on this issue. But the party must find an answer as to why we are voting with the BJP. The party has not done anything to address this question at the grass roots level, at least in my area.”

•Anisur Rahman CPM MLA from Domkal (Murshidabad) and State Animal Husbandry Welfare minister: “We are facing this question. I will only say that we will vote for the national cause and the BJP will vote for its own reason. We have no relations with them. They are a communal outfit. I cannot comment any further.”

•Samsul Islam Mollah CPM MLA from Chapra (Nadia): “Minority voters will misunderstand us because of our voting with the BJP in Parliament. Our party needs to do something to combat it.”

•Akkel Ali Khan, CPM MLA from Bagnan (Howrah): “We will have to follow our party line on the nuclear deal issue. At the same time, we will have to face questions from minority voters on why we voted with the BJP.”

•Muhammed Salim Gain, CPM MLA from Baduria (North 24-Parganas): “The move of voting with the BJP has truly raised doubts about us among the minority voters in West Bengal. People in my area are asking this question frequently. A section of minority voters have already deserted us as we saw in Panchayat elections, now this will further widen the gap. I have spoken to some of our party leaders regarding this. I have planned a campaign to combat this growing feeling of discontent. I have also planned to ask community leaders to tackle this question of voting with the BJP. BJP is our enemy Number One. So is America.”

•Mursalin Mollah CPM MLA from Mahestolla (South 24-Parganas): “Imperialism is a greater danger. Imperialism breeds communalism.”

•Mafuza Khatun, CPM MLA from Kumarganj (South Dinajpur): “I cannot comment on this controversial issue to the media. I am answerable to the party.”

•Abul Hasnat, RSP MLA from Jangipur (Murshidabad): “BJP is communal and our Enemy Number One. This issue of voting with BJP will impact on minority voters and we will have to find answers to convince them. But if there is any diktat (on voting), we have to follow.”

•Id Muhammed, RSP MLA from Bharatpur (Murshidabad): “I have full faith in my party. My party will definitely find a way to make the minority population of West Bengal understand the situation in which we are voting along with BJP.”

•Mehbub Mandal, Forward Bloc MLA from Galsi (Burdwan): “If the Left votes with BJP, it will definitely have a negative effect on our minority voters. It is true that a section of the minority Muslim voters had moved away from us in the recent Panchayat elections. We have to do something about it.”

•Mohammed Sohrab, CPM-backed RJD MLA from Burrabazar (Kolkata): “It will be disastrous to vote with the BJP. A big chunk of Muslim voters will not only move away but move against the Left.”

•Hasim Abdul Halim: CPM MLA form Entally (Kolkata ) and Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly: “As the Speaker of the State Assembly, I have no comments. But as a party member, I will follow the party mandate. This is all I can say.”