Cong helping CPM in WB civic polls: Mamata

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday attacked Congress, accusing it of trying to help Communist Party of India-Marxist in the coming civic polls in West Bengal and virtually compared its United Progressive Alliance partner to collaborators of Pakistani army during Bangladesh liberation war.

"Change is imminent. Congress or BJP whoever tries to help the CPI-M will not succeed. The grand alliance of the people will dethrone the Marxists," Banerjee said while welcoming state Congress working president Subrata Mukherjee who formally joined her party.

Civic elections in the state are slated for May 30. In an obvious reference to Congress, she said that during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War those who had colluded with the Pakistani forces were dubbed as 'rajakars' (collaborators).

Pointing to Congress taking CPI-M's support to form the board in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation last year, Banerjee said, "How do you know that another Siliguri would not have happened here? They have fled the battlefield. They have done their work. Congress has formed government with CPI-M in the past. It was their decision. We will go alone, we will not compromise with CPI-M."

Noting that the Trinamool was part and parcel of the UPA government, she said her party's commitment before the Lok Sabha elections was to support the Congress-led UPA.

"It is not a one-party government. It is a coalition government," she said.

According to her, people's power would drive out the Marxists from the state. Banerjee said people did not go as per the wishes of any political party and those acting as agents of the CPI-M would find that they were exposed.

Admitting that it would be a tough fight in the civic poll, she asserted that the Trinamool would win and usher in a change. Banerjee announced that new entrant Subrata Mukherjee would be a senior vice-president of TC and would be in-charge of the campaign for the civic poll.

Mukherjee, who resigned from all posts of Congress and the party membership, said the fight against CPI-M could not be launched from Congress, which did not have the inclination to fight the Marxists.

Mukherjee who was in-charge of Congress to oversee election in 81 civic bodies across the state, blamed his former party for the alliance breaking up.

"I wanted to make Congress strong, but I was proved wrong. Alliance was not made with the Trinamool. There was CPI-M help."

Mukherjee also charged Congress of not giving any seat to Trinamool in five districts.