In poll-bound Bengal, Congress & Left to finalise 'cordial' seat-sharing by end of January

Asserting that they will jointly fight against the BJP and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, the Left Front and the Congress on Sunday said that their seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming state assembly elections will be finalised by the end of January. Congress state chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that his party and the Left Front will hold further parleys to finalise the nitty-gritties of the deal.

Senior leaders of the two parties held talks on Sunday over the seat-sharing agreement. Left Front chairman Biman Bose said that though the BJP is the "biggest enemy of the country", but given the situation in West Bengal, the fight is against both the TMC and the BJP to save the state from communal strife and the "binary" that is being created among the people. He said that the parleys between his party and the Left Front are being held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.

During the 2016 assembly elections, the two parties had stitched an alliance and bagged 76 seats. However, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the two parties had fought separately and the Congress won two seats, the Left Front, which ruled the state from 1977-2011, drew a blank.

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TMC's appeal to Congress and left parties

On Wednesday, while addressing a press conference, in a big development, TMC urged the left parties and the Congress to support CM Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming polls. TMC MP Saugata Roy remarked, "If the Left Front and the Congress are genuine anti-BJP forces, they should line up behind Trinamool Congress, because Mamata Banerjee's party is the only party fighting against the communal and divisive politics of the saffron party. Mamata Banerjee is the real face of secularism." 

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Meanwhile, on TMC's appeal, the Congress proposed that CM Mamata's party should merge with it instead to put up a united fight against the BJP, CPI(M) lashed out at the party. Mocking the ruling Trinamool Congress, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said that TMC's appeal reflects desperation. Opining that CM Mamata Banerjee's party is fearing the impending defeat, Ghosh said that TMC has "lost the plot" even before the commencement of the elections in the state. 

READ | TMC's Appeal To Congress & Left Stirs Row In West Bengal; BJP Mocks 'desperate Mamata'

West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021

While the BJP has chalked out a massive plan for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls which includes Home Minister Amit Shah visiting the state every month till the elections, Trinamool has already begun its outreach programme highlighting the welfare schemes of the Mamata Banerjee government. The TMC has also roped in former JDU VP and poll strategist Prashant Kishor for Mamata's re-election while the BJP's campaign is being headed by senior leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, under the leadership of BJP chief JP Nadda. Violence has already started in the state ahead of polls with both sides clashing wit each other. Earlier, Dilip Ghosh had also asked his BJP cadre to arm themselves with sticks and give it back to the Trinamool cadre if it comes to it. 

West Bengal assembly with 294 seats will go to polls in April-May 2021, Trinamool holds 222 seats. BJP has made major inroads in the state in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats and establishing itself as the major opposition force in the state. While the BJP has claimed it'll win 200 seats, the Trinamool, via Prashant Kishor has contended that the saffron party won't cross 99.

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