Anti-SIR demonstrations in West Bengal may see leadership from Rahul Gandhi, according to comments by Congress leader Prasenjit Bose.
In a significant move, Congress leader Prasenjit Bose, a former Left student leader at JNU and SFI strategist, joined the Congress party in Kolkata on 15 September. Bose was joined by Left-turned Congress leaders Syed Naseer Hussain and Kanhaiya Kumar during his joining ceremony.
Bose's decision to join the Congress comes amidst the party's call for a political realignment and a planned anti-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) movement in West Bengal. The Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, has announced this movement to protest against potential mistakes made in the electoral rolls before the next assembly elections. Other opposition parties are expected to join this coalition against the BJP under certain conditions, as emphasized by Bose.
The SIR exercise, which is expected to take center stage once it begins in West Bengal, has been a contentious issue. Bose expressed concerns about state officials, largely appointed by the TMC, potentially affecting the fairness of the SIR exercise in West Bengal. He attributed the relative weakness of opposition alliances in West Bengal to the absence of concrete political programs.
Bose's comments suggest that the Election Commission's approach in West Bengal might be moderated following the resistance and Supreme Court intervention it faced in Bihar. He emphasized that the Congress is fighting an "ideological battle with the Constitution as its centerpiece", contrasting it with the TMC's record.
Rahul Gandhi has been at the forefront of the anti-SIR movement in Bihar, and he is now spearheading protests against the SIR in West Bengal. Issues such as corruption under the TMC rule, atrocities against women and children, and the treatment of Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states are expected to feature in the poll agenda in West Bengal.
However, any collaboration between the Congress and the TMC would depend on the ruling party's stance. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee have followed an 'Ekla chalo re' policy of contesting elections independently.
Bose's resignation from the CPI(M) in 2012 and subsequent expulsion from the party over disagreements on supporting Pranab Mukherjee's presidential candidature further highlight the ideological divide between the Congress and the Left parties. The Congress party has gained political traction due to Rahul Gandhi's exposes of the biased SIR exercise in Bihar. As the political landscape in West Bengal continues to evolve, the anti-SIR movement led by the Congress promises to be a key factor in the upcoming elections.
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