New Delhi: The election campaign for the second phase of West Bengal elections ended Tuesday, but the central leadership of the Congress, including party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have not addressed a single rally in the state so far.
This is in sharp contrast to their participation in election campaigns in Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. While Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Kerala on 3-4 April, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addressed her first rally in the state Tuesday.
Reached for comment on the matter, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, West Bengal Congress president, told ThePrint, “We will let you know once the programme is scheduled.”
But senior Congress leaders said both Rahul and Priyanka have intentionally not campaigned in West Bengal yet. They also said the party’s central leaders would campaign after the fourth phase because by then elections in Kerala, where the Congress is pitted against the Left, will be over. In West Bengal, the Congress has entered into an alliance with the Left.
Votes for the second phase will be cast on 1 April for 30 assembly seats in Bengal and 39 seats in Assam. Assembly elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu will be held on 6 April.
Also read: Congress’ peculiar ally troubles — when friend in one state supports its rival in another
‘Avoiding a situation to attack Mamata’
A senior Congress leader, who didn’t want to be named, said, “So far, the state leadership has been openly criticising CM Mamata Banerjee. The central leadership has a cordial relation with the CM and has so far not criticised her openly and hence they are avoiding a situation where they will have to attack the chief minister directly.”
Another Congress leader told ThePrint that while Rahul Gandhi has already created a “strain in the anti-BJP alliance” by allying with the Left against Banerjee, the party high command is wary of upsetting Mamata beyond a point.
Many opposition parties, including the RJD, the Shiv Sena, the SP and the NCP, have already supported Banerjee, alienating the Congress in the opposition camp.
“Besides, who knows, Mamata may end up becoming a PM-maker in future. Can the Gandhis afford to discount this factor?” said a G-23 leader.
The so-called ‘G-23’ leaders are those who had written a controversial letter to party president Sonia Gandhi in August last year, demanding a “full and active leadership”.
A third senior Congress leader said the party is also much more confident of coming to power in Kerala where Rahul Gandhi has been spending most of his time.
“Our assessment says that even in Assam, we will do much better and which is why both Rahul and Priyanka have campaigned there. As far as West Bengal is concerned, the important phases for us are after the fourth phase, so campaigning at this juncture doesn’t make sense,” said the leader.
‘Not intentional’
Some senior Congress leaders also said the move is not intentional and the media is deliberately trying to play mischief.
“It is not intentional at all. I am quite sure that our leaders, Rahul Gandhi ji, Priyanka Gandhi ji will definitely campaign after phase four as those are the important seats for us. To say our leaders are avoiding West Bengal is not correct at all. We have to follow a line and all is being done as per plans,” said Pradip Bhattacharyya, Congress MP and former Bengal Congress president.
Asked why a majority of the star campaigners for West Bengal have also not been campaigning, Bhattacharyya said the schedules are being worked out.
“Jitin Prasada is one of the star campaigners and he has been campaigning actively. Hari Prasad and B.P. Singh have been campaigning too. I am sure that the state unit has requested senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, too,” he added.
The third Congress leader said that Malda, Murshidabad, central and north Bengal are the key areas where the party has a greater chance of doing well and all these are part of the upcoming phases.
Senior Congress leader and star campaigner Salman Khurshid said, “I’m currently campaigning in Kerala and will head to Assam tomorrow (Wednesday).
“Senior leaders of the party and many of my colleagues have already said publicly that they will go to other states after Holi. At the same time, I want to reiterate that we will not let West Bengal go uncovered. I have already been in West Bengal for a day and plan to campaign in the rest of the phases,” he added.
‘How do we justify alliance with Left’
The second Congress leader quoted above pointed out another reason behind the move.
“We are in an alliance with the Left in West Bengal and we are fighting against them in Kerala. So how do we justify such alliances and what do we tell the people? This is not to say they won’t campaign at all, but by then elections will be over in Kerala,” the leader said.
In a tweet, earlier this month, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar while referring to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s comment that the Congress cannot be trusted in Kerala, had asked how his party CPI(M) has an alliance with the same Congress in West Bengal.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan says that the Congress party can't be trusted in Kerala, but his party CPM has an alliance with the same Congress in West Bengal.
There’s no sanity left with both Left and Congress.
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) March 17, 2021
(Edited by Debalina Dey)
Also read: It’s not only Bengal election, Mamata win will set right tone for secular country: TMC leader