Jamiat leaders eye poll alliance with Mamata

KOLKATA: Those who clashed with police at Red Road and forced President Pranab Mukherjee to change his route a year ago will be marching to Sahid Minar on Thursday . But this time they will have CM Mamata Banerjee on dais as chief guest.
Mamata is likely to join midway through the event where Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind leaders Qari Usman, Siddiqullah Chowdhury and Deoband University VC are among the speakers.They want to come closer to Mamata against the "growing intolerance" in the country .
Jamiat leaders seized the opportunity to invite Mamata after months of backroom parleys beginning with Chowdhury calling on the CM a few months ago. He had dropped hints of an alliance with Trinamool in the coming assembly polls. Mamata also wanted to build bridges with Chowdhury because she can checkmate some smaller outfits planning to cash in on the disenchantment among a section of Muslims. Trinamool is also in touch with Abdur Rezzak Molla's Nyay Bichar Party though he is yet to seal the deal.
Opposition parties are, however. yet to begin the exercise. A section of Congress and Left leaders are keen to come together against Trinamool, but some Congressmen would like seat adjustments with Trinamool, instead of going with the Left.PCC chief Adhir Chowdhury refuses to commit anything, saying: "People may choose to back the strongest Opposition candidate if they want. Parties have nothing to say . People resorted to such tactical voting earlier and may even do so this time.There has been no progress on alliance."
Left parties, on the hand, do not see beyond the Left bloc for the moment. CPM leaders are busy activating cadres at the grassroots realizing that no party will join hands unless the Left has the potential of winning a sizeable number of seats. Senior CPM leaders have chosen to take to the streets while individual Left leaders are reaching out to social programmes by Muslim organisations.
Trinamool is much ahead when it comes to backroom parleys, led by Abhishek Banerjee, Firhad Hakim and Sultan Ahmed. The focus is to offset anti-incumbency and narrow down the scope for the proposed Nationalist Trinamul Congress to gain friends. Trinamool insiders fear that such a combination might emerge as a spoilsport in certain assembly constituencies, capitalising on the internal feud within Trinamool. Chowdhury could be a good add-on to the Trinamool votebank.
Traffic trouble
Motorists should avoid Jawaharlal Nehru Road, SN Banerjee Road, Lenin Sarani and Central Avenue after noon on Thursday.Many schools in these areas have decided to give off early.