Buoyed by her party's success in the Panskura Municipality elections, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday revived the vision of a grand alliance to fight West Bengal's ruling Cummunist Party of India-Marxist and asked the Congress to shun its policy of political untouchability.
During the last Assembly elections in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress, she said, had tried to put up a united fight but there was lack of response to our call by some, hinting at the Congress.
''Panskura is a test case which showed that people are ready to vote out the CPI-M if the opposition is united,'' the Trinamool chief said.
She said nobody should consider others as political untouchables -- hinting at Congress not agreeing to enter into a political understanding with TC till it snapped ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
''In some areas, one party wields more strength while in others, some are weak. But if we all are united, the CPI-M can be defeated,'' she said.
The Trinamool chief said time was ripe for all opposition parties to form a grand alliance in West Bengal.
Pointing to the Congress, she said it should not take into consideration which party was secular and which was not.
"This excuses should not be made," she said, adding, "We will have to march ahead with all to achieve our end."
In a veiled criticism of Congress, she said this was also not tenable that any political party would criticise the other in matter of seat adjustment where it wields greater strength.
Stating that the Panskura model had shown the way, Banerjee said, "We welcome it and our future struggle will follow it."
"Those who want to keep the CPI-M in power here will have to take a vital decision about the united fight," the Trinamool chief said, alluding to the Congress that depends on crucial support from the Left parties to run the UPA government at the Centre.