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Advani's remarks on 'grand alliance' exercises Congress party

George Iype in Cochin

Amid growing signs of restlessness among Congress politicians over party president Sonia Gandhi's leadership style, the debate within the organisation over opting for the proposed 'grand alliance' in West Bengal picked up momentum today following a statement by Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani.

The home minister, while on a two-day tour of Kerala, told reporters during a press conference in Cochin that the Congress would commit "political harakiri" if it continued the policy of political untouchability towards other national parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"The Congress is in a state of great dilemma in states like Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala because it is simply unable to decide whether it should think in terms of the interests of the people or continue with its anti-BJP-ism," Advani said.

This, according to Advani, has been the most important cause for the Congress's decline over the last few years. "The Congress has been dislodged as the premier national party. Now it is inching towards committing political harakiri because its political policy towards other parties is irrelevant these days," the home minister said.

"The policy of untouchability articulated by a section of Congress leaders will only destroy the party," added Advani, who is one of the senior BJP leaders who have endorsed the grand alliance proposal mooted by Trinamul Congress leader and Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee.

But Congress Working Committee member A K Antony, one of Sonia Gandhi's trusted political advisors, ridiculed Advani's statement, saying that the Congress will continue to treat the BJP and the Communist Party of India-Marxist as political untouchables.

"The Congress party is in favour of throwing out the CPM from power in West Bengal and Kerala. But we are not ready for any alliance or tie-up with the BJP on this count," Antony told rediff.com.

He said it is "nice to see seasoned BJP leaders like Advani pleading for a grand alliance with the Congress to block the CPM from coming to power in West Bengal".

"We appreciate Advani's intention to defeat the Left parties in West Bengal and Kerala. But the Congress cannot support the BJP, since we hate communal parties like the one Advani finds himself in," Antony added.

"For the Congress party, both the BJP and the CPM are enemies. All other parties except the BJP are welcome to support our political initiative against the Left-led governments of Bengal and Kerala," the CWC leader added.

Party officials said leaders like Antony have met Gandhi a couple of times in the last one week to brief her on the best course of action the party leadership should take in the wake of the grand alliance idea that is sweeping across the party rank and file.

Party sources said Antony and three other CWC leaders -- Arjun Singh, Ahmed Patel and Madhavrao Scindia -- have asked Gandhi to nip the idea in the bud itself and to explore the possibilities of tying up with like-minded secular parties in states like West Bengal.

These pro-Gandhi Congress leaders are expected to meet senior Bengal leaders to iron out the difficulties within the party over the grand alliance idea.

"The grand alliance is an Advani-sponsored idea to annihilate the Congress in West Bengal and then in Kerala. The party leadership cannot think of agreeing to such an idea," a senior Congress leader from the state said.

He said the anti-Marxist platform proposed by the Trinamul in West Bengal has left the Congress leaders in Kerala in a quandary, especially since the state will go in for assembly elections early next year.

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