In an apparent attempt to galvanise the demoralised supporters, the Left Front on Tuesday hit the streets for the first time after losing power in the state, with a pledge to fight back. Ironically, the responsibility for bringing the party ranks and file out of the shock of the poll defeat, fell on the shoulders of the same man who is held responsible for
the Left Front’s most humiliating debacle: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The former chief minister who himself was shell-shocked after the drubbing of the Left Front and his own defeat in Jadavpur constituency, was on Tuesday in a surprisingly belligerent mood.
Mr Bhattacharjee wanted to convey the message to both his own party workers and the ruling Trinamul Congress that the Lefts may have been defeated in the Assembly election but it is not a spent force and are not going to take the defeat lying down. “It is true that we were defeated in the election but it must be kept in mind that one crore ninety five lakh people have voted for the Left Front,” he added.
Taking pot-shots at Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for his comments that the defeats of the Lefts in Bengal was “a historical reality”, the former chief minister said: “It is indeed that the Lefts have been defeated but it has got the support of 41 per cent people behind it whereas you have (the Congress) merely 29 per cent support and by this strength, you are ruling the country.”
It was apparent that Mr Bhattacharjee was trying to boost up the sagging morale of the Left Front workers. “It is evident that the people have opted for a change and the circumstances that led to this mood among the people should be properly assessed. We will seriously conduct this examination and take the necessary steps to overcome the shortcomings and reconnect with the people who have been alienated,” Mr Bhattacharjee said.
Ironically, in what seems to be a role reversal, the former chief minister accused the Trinamul Congress for attacking the CPI(M) party workers in connivance with the police in districts. “In a clear signal of terrorising the people, the murders of at least 12 party workers of ours was committed by the Trinamul and the goons were as brutal as possible, in most cases the victims being beaten or hacked to death,” Mr Bhattacharjee said.