Abbas Siddique's ISF holds its first rally

KOLKATA: Ahead of Bengal Assembly elections, cleric Abbas Siddique's Indian Secular Front (ISF) held its first rally in the city on Monday.

"People (farmers and common man) are deprived of their rights in the state and India. That is why we have gathered here to raise the voice of the common man's voice," said Siddique, the cleric of the prominent religious shrine Furfura Sharif who has significant clout on social media, while speaking out against the Central Government's contentious farm laws. He reiterated that if his party comes to power, then he will give the Muslims their rights.

When asked whether ISF will join hands with Congress and CPI (M) to contest the upcoming Bengal Election, Siddique said: "Talks are on. We will tell you once it is finalised." Elections to the 294-member Bengal Assembly are likely to be held in April-May.

The alliance between Congress and the Left Front took place for the first time in 2016 before the Assembly elections. Congress had bagged 44 seats while the CPI(M) got only 28 seats, the lowest since 1971. After the result was out, CPI(M) Politburo stated that "alliance was not in consonance with the decision of the Central Committee of the party.

After 2016, the deposit of CPI (M) candidates had been forfeited in three by-elections which were held in 2019.