Monday, January 9 2006 18:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (Jan 9,2006) criticized West Bengal Pradesh Congress president Pranab Mukherjee for not allying with the Trinamool Congress, for which even the state PCC leadership was in favour, 'at the instance of the High Command only to save the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre'.

"Pradesh Congress part-time President Pranab Mukherjee, has been creating confusion on formation of an anti-left alliance prior to the West Bengal assembly polls, though it is a fact that most of the Congress' lower, middle and some higher-level leaders in the state are in favour of it," BJP state president Tathagata Roy said.

"Such an anti-alliance stand at the instance of the High Command to save the UPA government," he said, 'would only cost the Congress of its remaining credibility.'

The Congress should realise the importance of a 'one-to-one' fight being the only way to defeat the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the hustings.

"If a formal alliance (with Trinamool Congress and BJP) is not possible, an informal alignment should be explored for the coming Assembly polls in the state," he declared.