Left parties to hold rally in Kolkata

KOLKATA: After West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's show of strength, it is time for her arch rival the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to hold a rally at the same iconic venue- Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground. Participants at the rally, scheduled for February 3, will be limited to the Left, unlike the parties cutting across political ideologies assembled by Banerjee rally. CPI (M) politburo member Nilotpal Basu said, “It will be the rally of only the Left parties. Unlike Mamata Banerjee, we don't need help from other parties. What did she achieve by organising the that flop rally?” He added, “She is on the back foot and now trying to project herself as the prime ministerial candidate. No one thinks she can be the PM. We, on the other hand, will send the message that time has come to defeat the BJP at the Centre and the Trinamool in the state. We will also state the alternative policies we stand for.”