Published 21:56 IST, February 27th 2021
Congress-Left's Bengal alliance runs into trouble; unable to finalise seat-split with ISF
Congress' Bengal plans seem to have run into trouble as it is unable to forge an alliance with Indian Secular Front (ISF), as revealed by Congress' AR Chowdhury
Congress' Bengal plans seem to have run into trouble as it is unable to forge an alliance with Indian Secular Front (ISF), as revealed by Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday. Stating that the Congress' alliance with the Left was smooth, he said that the ISF has gotten 30 seats of its choice from the Left. The Congress and Left are set to kick-off its campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal with a mega rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata on Sunday. Bengal is set to go to polls in 8 phases - March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29 with results to be announced on May 2.
Congress-Left alliance runs into trouble
ISF gets 30 seats from Left
Earlier on Friday, Indian Secular Front (ISF) founder and Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui has gotten 30 seats of its choice after holding seat-sharing talks, while eyeing 3-4 more seats. Siddiqui also stated that he will contest on 70-80 seats, demanding the Nandigram seat - where Mamata Banerjee will face Suvendu Adhikari. Siddiqui, who has also held talks with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, has stated that he will not field candidates where AIMIM is contesting.
"Asad Sahab came to Bengal. He came to our darbar sharif. We have told him that we are standing with him. I believe in the 2021 Assembly election votes should not be divided and thus wherever Asad Sahab's party will contest we should not field candidates. It is important to support him. The talks are going on across the table," Siddiqui told ANI.
Congress-Left alliance
Recently, the Congress-Left alliance have had seat-sharing talks for all 294 seats in Bengal Assembly, but refused to share the formula agreed upon. As of January 28, the parties decided that among the total 193 seats, the Left will fight in 101, while Congress will contest in 92 seats. The remaining 101 seats will be decided later, said Congress. Moreover, in a bid to not anger its voters in Kerala, sources reported that ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Vadra have decided to skip the joint Left-Congress rally in Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground. While Congress has allied with the Left in its bid to end Mamata Banerjee's 10-year term and fight an emerging BJP in Bengal, Congress is the prime opponent against the Left government in Kerala.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party recently saw the exit of Suvendu Adhikari along with 6 MLAs, 1 MP, and 16 other grassroots leaders - who joined BJP and have now been fielded in the saffron party's political campaign. Later Adhikari's two brothers joined BJP, while his father has been removed from his party post. While sports minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla has 'retired' from politics, Rajib Banerjee has joined BJP. Banerjee has hit out at BJP, saying she will 'fight alone if needed'. The saffron party is gearing for a tough battle in Bengal - aiming to attain more than 200 seats, while not fielding a CM face yet.
Updated 21:56 IST, February 27th 2021