India: CPM, Congress reach ‘understanding’ in West Bengal

Kolkata: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) has come to an “understanding” with the Congress party in West Bengal to unseat the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) from the state and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the central government, officials said.

Speaking to reporters, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said, “TMC came to power through an alliance with Congress. Now that they [Congress] have realised that it should be removed from power, we welcome the move as Left parties are working to widen the anti-TMC and anti-BJP platform.”

Bose however said the CPM would have only an “understanding” with the Congress and they were not forming any front or alliance with the party.

“We are entering into an understanding with the Congress as they also believe in our call to rid [West] Bengal of Trinamool and the country of the BJP. There will, however, be no joint campaign or sharing of platforms. But if there is an attack, there will be joint protests without party flags,” Bose said while announcing a list of 116 Assembly poll candidates for the Left Front.

“We have left the door open for the Congress to join hands with us. In districts where the party has strength we have declared very few candidates like Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, we have announced candidates for only two seats. We have a sitting legislator in one of them. In Darjeeling, only one name has been announced - that of Ashok Bhattacharya. He will contest from Siliguri, where he is mayor,” said a senior CPM leader indicating the party’s willingness to accommodate the Congress.

CPM has also fielded it top leaders Surjya Kanta Mishra becoming the first CPM state secretary to contest the polls. He has been re-nominated from his constituency - Narayangarh in West Midnapore. Former minister Kanti Ganguly and ex- Krishnagar MP Jyotirmoyee Sikdar have been nominated from South 24-Parganas’ Raidighi and Sonarpur North, respectively. Veteran Rabin Deb will contest from critical constituency of Singur.

“These are different times. You cannot hold on to tradition when you are fighting a different battle,” said Mishra, when questioned about the decision.

State Congress party president Adhir Chowdhury thought was unhappy with the unilateral decision of the CPM to announce the list of the candidates as the discussion on seat sharing were on “final stages”.

“We will work out an electoral understanding with the Left Front to ensure TMC’s defeat. However, they (CPM) should have waited a little more as we are strong in several districts like Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpur and talks can suffer because of this,” said Chowdhury.

Sources within CPM said the party was under pressure as several leaders still are unwilling for an alliance with Congress party.

“Ideology is more important that winning and losing elections. All our life we have fought against the bourgeois party which is pro-capitalist. Now just to get back to power we cannot tie-up with them,” said leader of the Burdwan district unwilling to be named.