Shaken, Pranab Mukherjee now moves Left

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In politics there is no permanent enemy and no permanent friend. This dictum was once again proved true when Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday called up two top CPI(M) leaders — both the party’s politburo members — Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Biman Bose, and sought Left support for the presidential candidate.

Sources said that during his brief conversation with the two Left leaders, Mr Mukherjee never said he wanted the Left parties’ support for his own candidature.

Political observers pointed out that Mr Mukherjee’s phone calls to Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Bose indicated to what extent Congress-Trinamul Congress relations have deteriorated in the span of a day.
On record, Mr Bose, who is also the Left Front chairman, said that the Left parties would decide their stand on the presidential poll issue only after the UPA would formally announce its candidate.

“The Left parties in New Delhi have not decided on this issue. They are ready to sit for discussions. After discussing the issue, they will announce their decision. But let the national picture become more clear,” Mr Bose said.

The Trinamul Congress has four per cent votes while the Left parties have five per cent and therefore, Mr Mukherjee has played a masterstroke by reviving his ties with the Left.

Mr Mukherjee has excellent personal rapport with both Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Bose. In 2008, when CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat was hell bent on withdrawing support to the UPA-1 government, Mr Mukherjee had contacted the duo and asked them to dissuade Mr Karat from taking the drastic step.

Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Bose were opposed to the Left’s withdrawal of support idea. However, both fell in line once the party’s central committee and politburo took the decision.

Also on Thursday, the CPI(M) termed as “unprecedented” the proposal to make Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a presidential candidate, saying it shows lack of principle that ties the UPA coalition.

Reacting to the Mamata Banerjee-Mulayam Singh Yadav proposal to have either Singh or A.P.J. Abdul Kalam or Somnath Chatterjee as candidate for the post, CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat said it was something 'unprecedented' that the name of the incumbent Prime Minister was being discussed for the post.

“It is really for the UPA leadership to answer this question. It is unprecedented that the name of a sitting MP should be suggested by the government’s own allies,” Ms Karat said.

“It really shows the utter lack of any principles which ties this coalition. It is for the UPA leadership to respond to this,” Ms Karat added.