A divided opposition and the development work undertaken by the state government will lead to a record seventh term for the Left Front in West Bengal, Communist Party of India-Marxist's new state Secretary Biman Bose said on Monday.
Bose, who took over the reigns of the party recently after the death of Anil Biswas, said the Front was likely to match the record figure of 251 seats, achieved in 1987, out of 294 this time round.
"This time, the situation is just like what it was in 1987 and if the sort of response the people are showing now is reflected in ballots on the day of voting, we may achieve our target or get close to it," he told PTI in his first interview after assuming charge.
- Complete Coverage: The Five-State Fight
Besides a divided opposition, development initiatives of the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government and its series of investment plans as well as the way in which it struck a balance between industrial and agricultural growth will ensure a sweep, he said.
In 1987, the Front received a boost by the positive results of its revolutionary land reform policies after coming to power on a popular wave in 1977. A faction-ridden Congress, the principal opposition party, could do virtually nothing.
The Front's tally has steadily decreased since then and hit an all-time low of 199 seats in the last elections when Trinamool Congress leader Mamta Banerjee forged an alliance with Congress.
This time, the situation is quite different with Mamta's efforts to unite the opposition parties having failed, leading to a three-way contest, which will work to the Left Front's advantage.
Bose, who is also the chairman of the Left Front, said about the three-way contests: "The role of the opposition was never constructive in the state; all the time it was destructive.
"Now they are opposing the development activities of the state government. People are keenly looking at what they are doing."
He also said saying Mamta's aim was to "obstruct development in West Bengal".
Asked about his party establishing anti-Congress credentials in West Bengal while continuing to support the Congress-led central government, the politburo member said, "In 2006, you are asking this question but during the 2004 parliamentary elections, we fought with an anti-Congress identity.
"Most of the seats we had secured in last Lok Sabha elections were by fighting against the Congress."
He said though the CPI-M was supporting the UPA government from outside it was opposing the "anti-people" policies of the government in and outside Parliament.
Also, his party's support to the Congress-led government was based on a Common Minimum Programme.
