Civic polls: State Cong and CPI(M) to forge alliance

The state Congress and CPI(M) leaders will form an alliance in the forthcoming civic polls irrespective of the diktats of the politburo.

CPI(M) politiburo is meeting in Delhi to discuss the matter along with other crucial issues which include whether party general secretary Sitaram Yehchury will be nominated for the Rajya Sabha seat from Bengal for the third consecutive time or not. In that case, Yehchury will have to take support of Congress and Congress will not be able to field any nominee. Monday's meeting will be followed by a two-day meeting of the party's central committee.

WBPCC president said Congress would form an alliance with CPI(M) in the forthcoming civic polls. The election to seven municipalities, namely, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik, Raigunj, Domkal and Pujali will be held on May 14. "We will form an alliance and fight the poll," Adhir Chowdhury said.

It may be recalled that before the 2016 Assembly election, an unofficial alliance was made between Congress and CPI(M). Some media and television channels had projected that the alliance would come to power defeating Trinamool Congress.

But it was a disaster for the alliance. The Congress bagged 44 seats and the Left Front got only 31 seats with CPI(M) getting only 26 seats which was lowest in the past three decades. After the elections results were out, the Politburo issued a statement and described the alliance as "unauthorised" and categorically stated that it did not approve the alliance and reprimanded the Bengal unit.

After 2016, in all the by-elections held in Bengal, Congress and Left fought separately and the candidates of both the parties lost their deposits. In the by-election in Kanthi South Assembly constituency whose result was announced last week, both CPI and Congress candidates lost their deposits. While CPI bagged 17,000 odd votes, the Congress nominee got only 2,200 votes.

Political experts said that for both the parties' existence has become the most important thing now. "Both the parties have realised that they will be able to put up only a feeble fight if there was alliance and to do this they will not hesitate to flout the diktat of politburo," the experts maintained.