Won't give any seats to Cong in Bengal: Forward Bloc

The proposed alliance between the Left Front and the Congress in West Bengal has hit a roadblock with the Forward Bloc refusing to leave its three Lok Sabha seats for the grand old party.

Speaking to DH, Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas said that they have made it clear to the CPM state leadership that his party will not leave any of its three Lok Sabha seats — Barasat (in North 24 Paraganas district), Cooch Behar (in Cooch Behar district) and Purulia (in Purulia district) — for the Congress.

“We will oppose the alliance between the Left Front and the Congress as the Forward Bloc suffered the most in the 2016 Assembly elections in West Bengal due to the partnership,” said Biswas.

Pointing out that CPM state leaders themselves accuse the Congress of failing to transfer their votes to Left Front candidates in the last Assembly election, Biswas said, “Congress failed to transfer its votes to Left Front candidates because it does not have enough votes in Bengal.

"Then on what basis the CPM is pressing for a Left-Congress alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections?”

Even as he admitted that the Left Front does not have the “organisational strength” to take on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on its own, he said that the Congress also is confined to Malda and Murshidabad district.

The two other Left Front constituents — CPI and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) — are yet to make their stand clear on seat-sharing with the Congress.

Earlier also the CPI and RSP leadership have criticised the CPM for “dragging” the Left Front into an alliance with the Congress in the 2016 Assembly elections. They also said that for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections they will not accept any “unilateral decision” of CPM in this regard.

However, a senior CPM state committee member told DH that, “the CPI and RSP are thinking of reconsidering their stand about the alliance with Congress. But have not said anything conclusive so far.”