Bengal Cong, Left hold talks with Muslim leaders

| | Kolkata
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Bengal Cong, Left hold talks with Muslim leaders

Friday, 26 October 2018 | Saugar Sengupta | Kolkata

Both the Congress and CPI(M) leaders of Bengal have started holding “meaningful talks” with the Muslim religious and social leaders aheadof the 2019 general elections.

According to sources Bengal Pradesh Congress president Somen Mitra have held secret talks with select leaders of various minority organizations Furfura Mujaddedia Orphan Foundation and Minority Youth Federation. Though the leader would not dwell much on the points of references he said the Congress was indeed trying to wrest back the minority voters from Trinamool Congress.

The PCC president is known to have spoken to Muslim social andreligious leaders like Md Nuruddin the State president of Jamiat-i-Islami Hind, secretary of Mili Ittehad parishad Abdul Ajiz, Sarwar Hasan, Kamruddin Malik, Jahid Mahmood etc.

“The minorities had been traditionally with the Congress before they went to the Left Front. After the fall of the Left they are now backing the TMC. But there is no reason why they cannot still be brought back to our fold,” Mitra said, adding the minorities were aware that only Congress could provide them a viable platform against the communal forces.

Mitra said the Muslim said the minorities wanted a viable force to beat the BJP. “They also know that only the Congress can beat the saffron forces. But simultaneously when they go to vote in Bengal they will naturally look for an opposition that can beat the BJP in this State. The Congress will have to strengthen its organsiation to fit into their imagination,” he maintained.

Elsewhere CPI(M) politburo member Md Salim also held talks with Muslim leaders party sources said. While Mitra spoke to minority leaders on Tuesday Salim held discussions with them on Wednesday sources said.

Among those who held talks with Salim at the CPI(M) State headquarters at Alimuddin Street was Jamat-i-Islami leader Abdul Ajiz, party sources said.

“This is not new. Such talks are held as a routine process. Our party does not believe in sectorian politics. We hold talks with members of various social streams as a routine affair,” Salim said adding “Muslims as such have no problem with the Left. The issue is different here. There is a polarization, thanks to the rise of the BJP which is again handiwork of Mamata Banerjee.”

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakrabarty said his party had already published a book on Mamata Banerjee’s failed promises to the minorities. “The Muslims and other minorities will finally realise that the Left is the only place where they belong,” he said evading questions however on whether the Congress or the Left will be able to make any dent in Banerjee’s Muslim vote base.

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