The Forward Bloc, a junior partner in the ruling the Left Front, today blamed Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee squarely for the severe erosion of the Left’s support base in the state and said it could replace the CPM as the big brother if the people could be convinced that the Bloc was the real Left in the Left Front.

On the last day of the Bloc’s state conference, its state secretary Ashok Ghosh said the “disaster” started in 2006 due to the government’s land acquisition bid for industrialisation.

“It is the industrial policy of the Bhattacharjee government which should be held responsible for the disaster the Left faced. The policy was never approved by the Left Front,” Ghosh said while replying to a discussion on the political report of the party’s state committee during which several state-level leaders criticised the party brass for “surrendering” to the CPM.

“On several occasions, we have raised our voice in the Left Front but they (CPM) never listened to us. We still believe the Nandigram and Singur land acquisition bids were the principal reasons behind the recent debacle,” said Ghosh.

Bloc leaders from at least ten districts reported it would be very difficult for their workers at the grass-roots level to continue political activities along with CPM cadres.

“People have rejected CPM cadres at the grass-roots level. They are engaged in corrupt practices and have been isolated from the masses,” said a leader from Birbhum district, where the Bloc has a strong base.

Participants from other districts like Purulia, Bankura, Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur were similarly critical of the CPM.

Ghosh also blamed the “corrupt Panchayati Raj institution” for the Left’s isolation from the people.

People are fed up with Left workers working with several panchayat bodies, he said. “People have experienced the ugly face of panchayat during the past few years.”

The Bloc has also planned a rally on December 17 to celebrate the five-day party congress in the city.

“We may emerge as the big brother if we can convince the people we are the real Left in the Left Front,” said Ghosh, who claimed at least one lakh people will gather on December 17.