Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday shared stage with the leaders of the Left Front, with which his party has entered into seat-sharing for the West Bengal assembly elections, and expressed confidence about formation of a coalition government in the state.
Accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of unleashing "dictatorship", he said his party has joined hands with the Left Front to defeat Trinamool Congress in the state where corruption is rampant.
"The Congress and Left Front government will come to power in the state after the election," he told election meetings of the two parties.
Gandhi said when he asked the Congress leaders in the state as to how they wanted to fight the polls, they replied that they "don't want her dictatorship and want to join hands with the Left to defeat the TMC".
"I told them if you want this, it will be done. Now stand up together with the Left and defeat the TMC," he said.
It is significant that Gandhi spoke of a coalition government with the Left in West Bengal where there is only a tactical seat adjustment between the two parties, while they are rivals in Kerala.
Hitting out at Banerjee, the Congress vice president alleged that she had unleashed a "dictatorship" in the state.
"Five years back in the 2011 assembly polls, we had not extended support to her for starting a dictatorship," he said.
Referring to the Narada sting operation against TMC leaders, he said, "No action has been taken against them. No action has been taken against those involved in Saradha scam in five years by Banerjee."
Gandhi charged that "corruption in Bengal under TMC rule has reached such a point that the Congress and Left have come together to fight and defeat the TMC".
The Congress and Left Front workers attended Gandhi's meetings on a sultry day on the campaign trail for the upcoming polls and the Congress vice president expressed happiness that they had turned up to hear him.
Gandhi urged the Congress workers to go to the people and seek their support for helping the formation of a coalition government in Bengal.
Image: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi with his party candidates and Left Front party candidates during election campaign. Photograph: PTI photo
