In what critics consider an upshot of CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s death and Bengal Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury’s getting eased out of his post there seems to be curtains for the Left Front’s camaraderie with the tri-colour party in Bengal.
That the twain was unlikely to meet in near future under new PCC president Subhankar Sarkar --- considered as a pro-Mamata Banerjee face in the Congress --- was once again proved by both the Left and the tri-colour outfit announcing their separate candidates’ list for the November 13 Assembly by-elections to six seats.
The six seats where the elections are to be held are Sitai in Cooch Behar and Madarihat in Jalpaiguri district of North Bengal, Naihati and Haroa in North 24 Parganas, Taldangra in Bankura and Medinipur in West Midnapore district.
While the Left announced its list on Monday the Congress published its own on Tuesday fielding its nominees in all the six seats where the Left Front is contesting. The Left is contesting is all but one seat of Haroa which it has set aside for Indian Secular Front.
On why there was no alliance between the two parties that jointly contested several elections together since 2016, the new PCC president said since Congress was not a member of the Left Front it had every right to take its own decision. “Is the Congress a part of the Left Front … we had fought together parliamentary elections but situations continue to change in politics … there is no compulsion that every time there has to be an alliance,” Sarkar said.
When asked to comment on the CPI(M)’s failure to take the Congress along with it as a bigger party central committee member Sujan Chakrabarty said, there was some communication gap as Sarkar was new in his chair and was getting feedbacks from district leaderships.
“There is no problem in the two parties contesting the polls differently … in fact we have been fighting against the corrupt Trinamool Congress and a communal BJP for the past several years and will continue to do so … the Congress’ secular democratic credentials is proven so if today there was no alliance does not mean that doors are shut for ever.”
Inside sources in the Pradesh Congress however said that unlike in the days of Adhir Chowdhury who has been a vocal Mamata Banerjee baiter there was no proactive step taken from Sarkar’s side for an alliance and “as there was dilly dallying from both the sides an alliance could not be stitched.”
Parallel reports said that while Sarkar who known for his good chemistry with Mamata Banerjee was uninterested in any alliance it was Chowdhury who has been shifted out to Jharkhand as the Congress’ observer in the Assembly polls in that State who called Congress central leader Venugopal asking him the efficacy of rejecting an alliance in Bengal with a party with which it was having a truck in Jharkhand.
“We are going with the Left as our partner in Jharkhand whereas we are contesting separately in Bengal … what message it will it leave for the electorate in the two States,” Chowdhury was quoted as telling Venugopal following which the PCC made a last ditch attempt to reach out to the CPI(M).
During a telephonic conversation with Left Front chairman Biman Bose the party demanded Sitai, Madarihat and Naihati seats from the Left which turned down the demand saying things had already been decided and the names of the candidates had already been finalized.
Finally it was decided that though the two parties will not contest jointly they will desist from mutual attacks so as to keep the future path of alliances open, sources said.
