Shaken by the disastrous showing in successive elections since the Lok Sabha poll, the CPI-M today fell back on services of nonagenarian Jyoti Basu who today appealed for support to the Leftists, accusing the Trinamool Congress of unleashing violence together with Maoists.

Just nine days away from the crucial by-elections to 10 Assembly seats in the state, Basu today issued a statement saying, "Our result in the last Lok Sabha election was poor. Some of our sympathisers and friends had voted against us. It is not their fault. We could not take our viewpoints properly to the people. There were some mistakes on the part of the CPI-M."

Claiming the state had slipped into a dangerous situation since the last Lok Sabha poll, the CPI-M patriarch particularly requested Congress supporters to come forward in re-establishing peace in the state.

"I am specially requesting you to come forward for peace, development and discipline and support the Leftists."

"Everyday our workers are getting killed. Common people, police personnel, doctors, nurses are also slain. Our party office is burnt. Trinamool Congress and Maoists are doing this together. They are taking the law into their own hand."

Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee on the other hand countered the CPI(M)'s allegation of her party's Maoist link, alleging the CPI-M and the Maoists are "both sides of the same coin".

"I think that the Marxists and the Maoists are both sides of the same coin. They are working together," Mamata told reporters here.

She alleged the the CPI(M) was running the government with the help of Maoists and that there was no difference between the violent activities of the Maoists and Marxists.

Basu described the coming Assembly by-polls as very "important" and said, "Democracy is under attack, peace is disturbed. We had restored peace and democracy in 1977 with people's support."

He reminded the Congress supporters of the Left parties' support to the previous UPA government. "We had provided unconditional support to the Congress in the interest of the country and to fight communalism," he said.