TThis was the first time in eight years that Congress President Sonia Gandhi shared the platform at a joint rally with Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee.
The two parties clinched a seat-sharing formula on March 12, under which Trinamool Congress will contest 27 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats and the Congress will contest from 14 seats. One seat was allotted to Trinamool's ally Socialist Unity Centre of India.
Banerjee said that the alliance would ensure the defeat of the Communist Party of India - Marxist-led Left Front in the Lok Sabha elections, alleging, "The CPI-M lies to the people and denies voting rights through means of terror".
She also alleged that power situation in the district was dismal.
"We are hopeful that the alliance will one day remove the CPI-M from West Bengal, as this party has failed to tackle unemployment, women trafficking as also the problem of hunger," Banerjee alleged.
Image: Hundreds turned up to attend the rally in the border town of Lalgola.
Also see: Special: In Guna, the legacy continues | India Votes 2009
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