Calcutta, Oct. 14: The CPM central committee today backed Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s government and the Bengal party unit on Singur and asked them to focus on post-Nano industrialisation to make it their poll plank.

“We endorsed the steps taken by the state leadership on Singur. The party will go to the people against the destructive politics of the Opposition,” general secretary Prakash Karat said after the three-day deliberations ended this afternoon.

“We are confident that the people of Bengal will defend the mandate of the Assembly elections so the Left Front government can fulfil its goals of industrial and all-round development,” he added.

The Bengal leaders had told the committee yesterday that the party hoped to make electoral gains by cashing in on the anti-Mamata Banerjee mood after the Tata pullout.

Karat denied that the government had failed to contain the situation that led to the pullout. “There’s no question.... Certain leaders and parties are uncontrollable.”

The party has asked the government to take the initiative to bring alternative industrial projects to Singur and implement projects elsewhere.

“(The) withdrawal of (the) Tatas does not mean full stop to the goal of industrialisation. It’s for the government and party to decide what to do with (the) land given for (the) Tata Motors project and whether they should look for alternative options,’’ Karat said.

State CPM secretary Biman Bose said talks were “on at different levels and (on) proposals to set up other industries” at the Tata site. “But nothing concrete has taken shape. I can’t say whether an alternative project will come up before the (Lok Sabha) polls.”

He refused comment on the transport minister’s claim that a deal for another car plant in Singur had been finalised.

Bose rejected Mamata’s renewed demand to return land to the unwilling Singur farmers and maintained that a new project would come up there.

Karat held Mamata responsible for the Tata Motors pullout and declined to criticise the company, though some leaders had found its decision “unreasonable” and “hasty”. “The blame squarely lies with the Opposition and Ratan Tata has made it clear,” Karat said.

Some central committee members said the party had decided not criticise the Tatas as it would blunt the campaign against Mamata. It will also alienate Ratan Tata, whose offensive against Mamata would pay dividends in the polls, they said.

Karat defended acquisition of land in Bengal for industry and found no dichotomy in Kerala’s decision not to do so. “(The) nature of industry is different in Bengal and Kerala, so are their land requirements. Land is scarce in Kerala and most proposals for SEZs and other projects came from IT and biotech industries, requiring 10-50 acres, or 150 acres at the maximum. The situation is different here.”