Left Front-Cong seat-sharing arrangement unlikely in Bengal by-elections: CPI-M member

Kolkata, Oct 19 A seat-sharing arrangement between Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front was unlikely for the forthcoming by-elections to the six Assembly constituencies in West Bengal, scheduled on November 13, sources said.

A state committee member of CPI(M) said neither his party received any proposal from Congress, nor the grand old party was approached.

"Hence we have started discussions within the party as well as within the Left Front on how to move ahead independently for the bypolls," he said.

However, a West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) member said: "Although the final decision on the seat-sharing arrangement will be taken by the party high command, a majority of people in the party's state unit was in favour of going it alone in the by-elections to review their organisational strength."

Political observers feel that the recent demise of the erstwhile CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and the replacement of the former state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were the two biggest hurdles for initiating the talks between Congress and Left Front on the seat-sharing issue.

"While Yechury used to directly interact with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the national level, Chowdhury used to coordinate the same with the CPI(M) politburo member and the party's state secretary in West Bengal Md Salim. The absence of both Yechury and Chowdhury can be felt this time concerning Congress-Left Front seat sharing agreement for the by-election," said a city-based political observer.

A total of six Assembly constituencies in West Bengal going to by-elections were Sitai in Cooch Behar district, Madarihat in Alipurduar district, Naihati and Haroa in North 24 Parganas, Medinipur in West Midnapore district and Taldangra in Bankura district. The counting of votes was scheduled for November 23.

All these six constituencies fell vacant as their sitting MLAs were elected in the Lok Sabha elections this year.

Barring Madarihat, which had an erstwhile BJP legislator, Trinamool Congress candidates got elected from the remaining five in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.

Source: IANS