CPM-FB bipartite meet held to sort out problems

  

COOCH BEHAR, April 4: Though the state committee of the Forward Bloc changed its previous stand and decided to go unitedly with the CPI-M in the panchayat elections, the district committee of the party is yet to take any firm decision over the matter.

 

Today the leaders of both the parties sat at Cooch Behar district CPI-M office to sort out problems and to find a way out to fight the panchayat elections unitedly as Left Front partners. On the CPI-M side there were its district secretary Mr Chandi Pal and four secretariat members - Mr Benubadal Chakraborty, Mr Tarapada Barman, Mr Akhil Pramanik and Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda. On the Forward Bloc side there were district general secretary Mr Udayan Guha, Mr Paresh Adhikary (minister), Mr Hiten Barman (MP), Mr Dipak Sarkar (MLA) and Mr Debashis Banik.

 

After the meeting, district CPI-M secretary Mr Chandi Pal said that they decided to work jointly. They will fight unitedly against the opposition and reactionary forces. The seat adjustment between the parties will be done following Left Front's guideline. At the same time he said that they would sit over the table again on Sunday to discuss demands and problems of both the parties.

 

Replying a question Mr Pal admitted that in the previous elections there were a few ghost candidates and because of their presence a total unity was not possible. "This time we will be cautious enough so that no ghost candidate can exit in the elections", he said. He assured of all co-operation to achieve total unity of Left Front partners.

 

On the otherhand, the general secretary of district Forward Bloc Mr Udayan Guha and others came out hastily from the CPI-M office soon after the meeting and they met in a closed door meeting at district Forward Bloc office over the outcome of today's bipartite meet. Later Mr Guha said there was no unity between CPI-M and Forward Bloc in the panchayat elections since 1983. "Today we discussed to attain unity in the polls and the next meeting will be held on Sunday", he said.

 

Replying a question whether unity was achieved in today's meeting, he said, "If we reached to unity then why should we sit again on Sunday?" Were they made adjustment of seats for the panchayat elections? "If yes, then is it not useless to sit over the table again?" Mr Guha replied. He also denied saying anything about the outcome of the just concluded party workers' conventions held at all block areas in the district.

 

Forward Bloc sources said secretariat meeting of the party's district committee would be held tomorrow to discuss the development and the party's future stance for the three-tier panchayat elections. []