<p>The demand raised by a section of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) leaders to project Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha and WBPCC president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the Left-Congress alliance has created confusion in both the Left Front and Congress. According to sources in the Left Front, they were at a loss as to what could be the intention behind such a demand.</p>.<p>Moreover, the demand has come from senior Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty, known to be the right-hand man of Chowdhury. “He (Chowdhury) is the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and a popular mass leader. If he becomes the face of the Left-Congress alliance in the 2021 Assembly elections it will be beneficial to both sides,” said Chakraborty.</p>.<p>Asked whether Chowdhury would contest the upcoming Assembly elections, Chakraborty said if the situation demanded he would contest in a bye-election.</p>.<p><strong>Also read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/wbpcc-president-adhir-ranjan-chowdhury-keen-on-forming-third-alternative-in-bengal-with-the-left-900935.html" target="_blank">WBPCC President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury keen on forming ‘third alternative’ in Bengal with the Left</a></strong></p>.<p>A section of WBPCC leaders was also demanding that the party should be put in charge of the alliance with the Left Front. According to sources in the CPI(M) state committee, as far as any alliance is concerned some precaution should be taken on both sides and any such statement, which could send a wrong signal to the alliance partner, should be avoided.</p>.<p>The CPI(M) central committee and the Politburo had already given consent to the alliance with the Congress. CPI(M) insiders said that the state committee had already prepared a draft list of seats which it wanted to contest.</p>.<p>The general secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a key Left Front constituent, Manoj Chakraborty said that “when the Left Front came to power in West Bengal in 1977 or when the Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011 neither Jyoti Basu nor Mamata Banerjee was formally projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate. It is decided after the election results are declared.”</p>.<p>Senior Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya said that the matter was not yet discussed in the party so far. “Perhaps someone will raise it at a party meeting,” he said.</p>
<p>The demand raised by a section of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) leaders to project Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha and WBPCC president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the Left-Congress alliance has created confusion in both the Left Front and Congress. According to sources in the Left Front, they were at a loss as to what could be the intention behind such a demand.</p>.<p>Moreover, the demand has come from senior Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty, known to be the right-hand man of Chowdhury. “He (Chowdhury) is the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha and a popular mass leader. If he becomes the face of the Left-Congress alliance in the 2021 Assembly elections it will be beneficial to both sides,” said Chakraborty.</p>.<p>Asked whether Chowdhury would contest the upcoming Assembly elections, Chakraborty said if the situation demanded he would contest in a bye-election.</p>.<p><strong>Also read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/wbpcc-president-adhir-ranjan-chowdhury-keen-on-forming-third-alternative-in-bengal-with-the-left-900935.html" target="_blank">WBPCC President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury keen on forming ‘third alternative’ in Bengal with the Left</a></strong></p>.<p>A section of WBPCC leaders was also demanding that the party should be put in charge of the alliance with the Left Front. According to sources in the CPI(M) state committee, as far as any alliance is concerned some precaution should be taken on both sides and any such statement, which could send a wrong signal to the alliance partner, should be avoided.</p>.<p>The CPI(M) central committee and the Politburo had already given consent to the alliance with the Congress. CPI(M) insiders said that the state committee had already prepared a draft list of seats which it wanted to contest.</p>.<p>The general secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a key Left Front constituent, Manoj Chakraborty said that “when the Left Front came to power in West Bengal in 1977 or when the Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011 neither Jyoti Basu nor Mamata Banerjee was formally projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate. It is decided after the election results are declared.”</p>.<p>Senior Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya said that the matter was not yet discussed in the party so far. “Perhaps someone will raise it at a party meeting,” he said.</p>
