The Congress is almost decided to go it alone in the coming Howrah lok Sabha by-election, Bengal Pradesh Congress sources say.
According to top State Congress leadership, the party has received the go-ahead from the High Command and may soon declare the name of its candidate for June 2 poll.
“There is no question of going it together with a party that has been involved in such a big scam. The Congress will go it alone and it is a good chance to show one and all that the Congress is coming back in a big way in the State. Soon many Trinamool men who are honest would come to our side,” said a PCC member.
Howrah seat fell vacant after the death of Trinamool Congress MP Ambika Banrejee last month.
The by-election will be held on June 2 and result will come out on June 5. The last date of filing nomination is May 15.
While the left Front was yet to declare its candidate, Trinamool Congress sources said the party was planning to field soccer star of yesteryear Prasun Banerjee. He is the younger brother of celebrated football Olympian PK Banerjee.
“It is not yet decided but Prasun’s name is doing the rounds and our leader Mamata Banerjee will soon take a decision on this,” a senior Trinamool leader said.
Usually a left bastion, the Marxists had lost Howrah to the Congress-Trinamool Congress combine in 2009 by a rather narrow margin of about 25,000 votes. The constituency also has a sizeable presence of the BJP which means it would be a four-cornered contest in the bypolls, the first since the multi-crore chit-fund exploded in the face of the State Government.