Congress hopes for impasse over seat sharing to be resolved soon

The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCCC) on Thursday hoped that the impasse with CPI(M) over seat sharing will be resolved soon.

Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya said that the party leaders were very hopeful that the stalemate over seat sharing would be ironed out soon. Congress has demanded 106 seats and under no circumstances would they go for less than 90. The CPI(M) has agreed to allow Congress to field 70 candidates and in remaining the 224 seats, the Left Front partners  will field their candidates.

Bhattacharya said to resolve such issues more meetings were required as CPI(M) would have to convince its partners about the alliance. He hoped the High Command  would give clearance to form the official alliance soon.

But whatever the leaders might say in the grass root level the decision to form an alliance has not gone well with the rank and file. In Murshidabad, which is a Congress stronghold, theoretically the alliance is likely to sweep in most of the seats. The district has 22 seats. But in practice it will not be easy as for hardcore Congress voters it is difficult to vote for the Left Front candidates and vice versa. Also, Congress leaders will have a trying time to convince its supporters that an alliance with CPI(M) is the need of the hour. Also, it is difficult for Congress to give polling agents in over 77,000 polling booths throughout the state. Congress leaders said that there will not be any joint election manifestoes and in constituencies where Left Front candidates will fight, Congress will ask its voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the Left Front candidates. Political experts said “The situation is very tricky and if the voters do not honour requests of their leaders, then Trinamool Congress will be immensely benefited.” Mamata Banerjee has said ov er and again that the alliance would not have any impact on the polls.