Even as the Congress and Left are relying on each others support to form the next government, the two sides today heightened its tussle over development with Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi slamming the Left Front government in West Bengal.
In Kolkata, Gandhi today said: “My perception was that Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the worst states in terms of implementation of Centre’s pro-poor programmes, but I was shocked by what I saw in West Bengal. A tremendous amount of wastage is taking place in the state where the government is not caring for the poor.”
But keeping alive the possibilities of taking the Left’s support to form the next government, Gandhi said doors of his party are “open for anyone willing to join us”. “I am nobody to say whether the doors are open or closed. That is for the party president and prime minister to decide. But as a general principle, I can say that the doors of the Congress party are open for anyone willing to join,” he said in Kolkata.
Within hours of Gandhi’s outburst, CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury hit back at the Congress leader equating his assessment with Rajiv Gandhi’s controversial comment that “Kolkata is a dying city”.
“What Rahul Gandhi said today means that even as the government didn’t do anything, the people of Bengal were fools to have voted the Left back to power for seven consecutive elections. His father once said Kolkata was a dying city, now his son is echoing similar opinion,” Yechury said.
Gandhi also alleged that the Left parties “do not know how to generate money”.
“If you look at the five years of the United Progresive Alliance rule, you find the government has implemented massive programmes for the poor which has stunned the Opposition.” Replying to another question, Gandhi said, the Nandigram agitation — where 12 people were killed in police firing — “could have been handled with sensitivity.”
Meanwhile, Gandhi also said that he “does not have the experience” required for the prime minister’s post now. “Now ... I would refuse. I do not think I have the experience to be the prime minister of the country right now,” said Gandhi, sitting beside External Affairs Minister and state Congress unit chief Pranab Mukherjee.
