Rift widens between Congress and Left in West Bengal

The relationship between alliance partners Left Front and the Congress has hit a new low with the Left Front alleging that if the alliance is dissolved then people will put Congress' role under the scanner. The development comes at a time when the Left Front’s relationship with its other alliance partner the Indian Secular Front (ISF) has turned considerably sour over the latter's secular credentials.

At a recent protest demonstration, Left Front chairperson Biman Basu expressed his displeasure against Congress’ decision of not taking part in campaigning for the Bhabanipur Assembly by-election. Basu said that Congress did not provide any prior intimation to the Left Front before going ahead with the decision.

Asserting that the Left Front was keen on continuing its alliance with the Congress, Basu indicated the Front will not take responsibility if the alliance is dissolved.

“We have repeatedly said that we want the alliance with Congress to continue. If it is dissolved then people will put Congress’ role under the scanner,” said Basu.

He also pointed out that in the last Assembly election that Congress fielded candidates in the Jaipur constituency even after the seat-sharing agreement with the Left Front was finalized.

“Now the Congress is again taking a decision without holding any discussions with its alliance partners,” said Basu.

Sources in the Left Front said that the Left parties are miffed with the Congress’ shifting stand at Samseerganj and Jangipur Assembly seats where the grand old party earlier declared that it will support Left candidates.

Interestingly, the CPI(M) has already announced that since neither the Congress nor the ISF was contesting in the Bhabanipur Assembly by-election, it will campaign under the banner of the Left Front and not that of the Sanjukta Morcha, as the Left-Congress-ISF alliance is known.

According to state Congress insiders, a section of party leaders has questioned the way it was treating the Left Front and were apprehensive about the future of the alliance.

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