Congress names 75 constituencies where it will field candidates

The weak underbelly  of the unofficial alliance  between the Congress and CPIM came out in the open on Tuesday with WBPCCC president Adhir Chowdhury announcing that there will be a friendly fight between the two parties in Domkol and Hariharpara.

The CPIM on Monday  had announced  that  three candidates would contest  from Domkol, Hariharpara and Nabagram.  Anisur Rahman,  minister for Animal Welfare department in the erstwhile Left Front government is the elected  MLA from Domkol.  For Adhir Chowdhury keeping these three constituencies  under Congress is a  prestige fight.  On Tuesday he published a list of 75 constituencies where the party would field candidates, and said that the party was eager to fight in over 100 seats. In Murshidabad, party candidates will contest from Baroan,  Farakka, Suti, Jangipur, Ratua, Lalgola, Kandi, Domkol, Hariharpara and Nabagram.

The Congress will  field candidates in  Bhowanipore, Rashbehari, Jorasanko, Ballygunge and Chowringhee constituencies in Kolkata. Though names of the candidates were not announced on Tuesday it is learnt that Om Prakash Misra was likely to contest in  Bhowanipore against Mamata Banerjee.  Bhowanipore once a Congress stronghold is now  under the control of  Trinamool Congress.  All the councillors  are from Trinamool and the seven constituencies under Kolkata South Lok Sabha seat  belong to the party. Veteran party leader and former PCCC president Somen Mitra is expected to contest from the  Chowringhee seat.  Two Congress candidates could be fielded against two TMC heavyweights,  Subrata Mukherjee from Ballygunge and Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay  in Rashbehari. CPIM will field its candidates  in  Kashipur- Belgachia  and  Manicktala.

Veteran Congress leader  Abdul  Mannan is likely to contest  from Champdani in Hooghly.  Deepa Das Munshi is likely to  contest from Goalpukur.   It is likely that  Arunabha Ghosh  will contest from Kolkata. Ghosh who was the Trinamool MLA from  Dum Dum had crossed over to Congress 

Unlike the CPIM, Chowdhury was very clear about the alliance. “ We have made an alliance with the Left Front and there is no hide- and- seek on this,”  he said. It may be mentioned that  Biman Bose, Left Front had said on Monday that it was not an alliance but merely seat adjustment.   Chowdhury was also very clear about the role of his workers in seats where Congress was not fighting. “ They will take part in the campaign with the Left and will urge people  to vote for the Left candidates,” he said.

Political experts were unsure on how far Congress voters would  exercise their franchise  in favour of the Left and vice-versa.

Adhir Chowdhury was very upbeat on the alliance.”  Unless there is a one-to-one fight no one can defeat  Trinamool Congress,” he said adding “ we are also fighting against the  communal  stand of BJP who are trying to destabilize  the secular fabric of society.”