Friday, August 12 2005 10:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: With Trinamool Congress embracing the issue, the problem of illegal migration from Bangladesh has come to the center-stage of politics in West Bengal and is likely to be a major plank in next year's assembly polls in the state.

Despite Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) efforts in the past years, the issue of infiltration has never come to the forefront of electoral politics in West Bengal as it has now, with all political parties, including ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), admitting that it was a serious problem.

"It has become a key issue whether anyone liked it or not," said working President of State Congress, Pradip Bhattacharya.

During his recent visit to Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh had also taken it up with Dhaka, he said.

Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee, who had recently created a flutter in the Lok Sabha by throwing a bunch of papers at the Speaker's podium when she was not allowed to speak on infiltration, said, "Many names which are in our voters' lists also figure in the electoral rolls of Bangladesh."

She accused Left Front major CPI-M of encouraging the influx from across the border with Bangladesh for political gains.