As Buddhadeb Bhattacharya is down with ailments, the CPI(M) is toying with the names State Opposition leader Suryakanto Mishra and Raiganj MP Md Salim to replace the former Bengal Chief Minister as the “left Front’s face in the coming Assembly elections.”
The party State committee on Tuesday held detailed discussions on these names, the inside sources revealed. Though none would go on record, sources maintained that a majority of leaders backed Dr Mishra as Bhattacharya’s successor.
And if Mishra who is also the CPI(M) State secretary apart from being a politburo member refuses to accept the proposal. Salim will be asked to take his place sources said. Mishra for now is reluctant to the contest polls.
Sources also said that the State committee is unanimous in its choice of seat for the would-be face of Front in the polls. The party wants the Chief Ministerial candidate to contest from Jadavpur seat in the southern fringes of Kolkata from where Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was a longtime MlA until he lost by more than 17,000 votes in 2011.
Sources close to Mishra said that the Opposition leader wants to follow the footsteps of former State secretaries like Pramod Dasgupta, Saroj Mukherjee, Anil Biswas and Biman Bose who did not contest elections and devoted their time in organisational works. If he refuses to contest the elections the party has a second name ready in Md Salim who was last year elevated from central committee to the politburo.
While a “clean image” goes in favour of Mishra and what also goes in favour of Salim is his minority status, his fluency in English, Hindi, Urdu and Bengali languages and also his youthful countenance. Those who backed his name said he was also a favoured candidate of Bhattacharya who has recently acquired a fatherly figure in the State party.
Another good point about Salim is that he enjoys a workable chemistry with the Congress a party that the Marxists have been wooing for the past a few months for some kind of electoral adjustment.
Meanwhile, the left Front partners were not eager to deliberate on what they said “internal affairs of the CPI(M).” RSP leader Ashok Ghosh said “the Front will discuss on the thing after the CPI(M) comes out with its proposal. But as of now there is no communication from their side,” adding in leftist organizations such issues decisions are not taken in haste.