Cracks have appeared in the West Bengal Left Front over the fresh Nandigram killings. Nevertheless, the CPI(M) has tried to put up a brave face and said that there is no division within the Left. For the first time in the Left Front?s history, the three smaller Left parties?Forward Bloc, CPI and the RSP?distanced it self from the CPI(M) and held a separate joint meeting to issue a statement from Kolkata to blame the CPI(M) for inciting fresh violence in the village.

In a tune similar to state Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, who on the other day said that whatever is happening inNandigram is illegal, the Left parties joint statement said, ?We don?t support the wanton violence as a means to find a solution in Nandigram. We are totally opposed to it. The CPI(M) alone is responsible for this unfortunate turn of affairs.?

Political observers feel that the move will further isolate the CPI(M), which is already clueless on how to handle the struggles in Nandigram, spearheaded by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.

The Trinamool Congress on Sunday appealed to all parties to join the ?movement against the CPI(M).?

The Congress is also putting pressure on the West Bengal government to control the violence. ?We are ashamed of what is happening in Nandigram. Intellectuals, film artists and others are being arrested by police for protesting against the Nandigram violence to gag down any kind of protest,? Congress leader and Union minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said at a Youth Congress meeting at Howra.

Meanwhile, criticising the UPA government for its ?conspicuous silence? over recent killings in Nandigram, the BJP said, it would soon send a team of party leaders to the violence-hit areas of West Bengal to assess the situation on the ground. The party has also decided to raise the issue during the upcoming Parliament session and expose the Centre?s move to protect the state?s CPI(M) led Left front government. This the Centre has been doing despite Governor?s report and continuing violence in Nandigram.

The politburo meeting of the CPI(M), which began here on Sunday, took stock of the situation and is learned to have directed the state party unit to take necessary steps to control violence. ?Our state unit is capable of controlling the situation,? CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here on the sidelines of the politburo meeting. Claiming that there is no crack within the Left Front on the issue, he said that his party takes exception to West Bengal Governor Gopal Gandhi?s comments that Nandigram has become a war zone.