Unity with CPI-M : Cooch Behar FB undecided

 

COOCH BEHAR, March 30: Though the state committee of the Forward Bloc decided yesterday not to go it alone in the forthcoming panchayat elections in the state, the Cooch Behar district committee of the party is yet to change its earlier stand over the relation with the CPI-M. Before taking any decision the district committee of the party is now trying to know the moods and opinions of grass-root level party workers.

 

Commenting over the development the general secretary of the Forward Bloc's Cooch Behar district unit and also a member of the party's state committee, Mr Udayan Guha said over phone from Haldibari that as a policy they are in favour of unity of Left Front. The unity should be there in all elections and everywhere, not in the rural polls only, he opined. At the same time he said that it is already late in taking the initiative that is required before attaining a total unity before the panchayat elections.

 

After the Dinhata incident of 5 February and the comments ventilated by some leaders of different political parties the supporters of Forward Bloc got aggrieved. They have reasons enough for asking the leadership to adopt 'go it alone' policy in the ensuing panchayat elections, Mr Guha said. "In this perspective we cannot take any decision without discussing the matter with the common party workers", he said. From today the party started block level meetings of party workers and the process started from Haldibari today, he informed.

 

The Forward Bloc leader said one couldn't predict a total unity though it is expected to strengthen the Left Front. In the previous panchayat elections in Cooch Behar district unity was reached between the district unit secretaries of the CPI-M and the Forward Bloc – Mr Chandi Pal and late Kamal Guha. But, actually no unity was found during the elections. So at first the parties should judge the moods and aspirations of the workers before imposing any so-called unity on them, Mr Guha said.

 

It may be recalled here that following late Kamal Guha's line the Cooch Behar district unit of the Forward Bloc had decided to go it alone in the rural polls without making any alliance with the CPI-M. Later, the state committee too approved the plan. Yesterday, the state committee of the Forward Bloc changed its stand but the Cooch Behar district committee is yet to follow the line without judging the opinions of the party workers. []