CPI(M), Cong march together, file nominations

Though the CPI(M)'s politburo and the central committee have not yet given the green signal allowing the Bengal unit to join hands with Congress for the forthcoming municipal polls, workers of both the parties on Tuesday held a joint rally and their candidates submitted nominations in Domkol in Murshidabad.

Anisur Rahaman, CPI(M) MLA and former Animal Resource Development minister led the rally.

Adhir Chowdhury, WBPCC president had on Monday said that both Congress and CPI(M) would fight jointly in the civic polls.

There are elections to seven municipalities of which four are in the hills, namely, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik and three in the

plains, namely, Domkol, Raigunj and Pujali.

Political experts felt that the unauthorised alliance was inked so hastily that this indicated the nervousness of the two parties and their insecurity.

"The question of existence has become more important than ideology and the leaders of CPI(M) and Congress have realised that if they do not form an alliance, then BJP will become second in all the municipalities," political experts opined.

The unauthorised alliance which was formed before the 2016 Assembly election had brought shame for both Congress and CPI(M). CPI(M) got only 26 seats, the lowest in the past three decades and Congress bagged 44 sets which was marginally better than its partner.

The politburo in a written statement declared the alliance as illegal and rebuked the Bengal unit. But after that, both Congress and Left fought the by-elections independently and the results were disastrous. In the Kanthi South Assembly by-election, whose results were out last week, both CPI and Congress candidates lost their deposits. While the CPI candidate got 17,000 votes, the Congress nominee got only 2,270 votes.

It was learnt that the politburo did not approve of the alliance this time too. The two-day central committee meeting of the CPI(M) is now in Delhi and the matter would be discussed at length.