Kolkata: In a fresh sign of strain within the Left Front ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) has decided to field candidates in four constituencies where the CPI(M) has already announced nominees, setting the stage for “friendly contests” between the allies.
The standoff centres on Cooch Behar North, Jalpaiguri Sadar, Harishchandrapur and Galsi, where the CPI(M) went ahead with candidate announcements despite objections from the Forward Bloc.
AIFB state secretary Naren Chattopadhyay alleged that the party’s demand for
Harishchandrapur and Galsi was ignored. “There has been no resolution yet.
We will also field candidates in these seats,” he said after a party meeting on Saturday.
The CPI(M), however, has indicated it will not withdraw its nominees from any of the four constituencies, making a clash between the allies inevitable. Such “friendly fights” have been a recurring feature within the Left Front, including during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in north Bengal, but the latest developments underline
persistent fault lines in seat-sharing negotiations. The discord has also spread to other allies. The RSP has objected to the Indian Secular Front’s (ISF) decision to contest Basanti and Bolpur, both of which it claims. The ISF has refused to concede these seats and confirmed it will field candidates.
Meanwhile, the Liberation group has announced a candidate in Bharatpur, another seat claimed by the RSP, adding to the growing seat-sharing deadlock within the Left Front.