Left Front unity : Cooch Behar style

 

COOCH BEHAR, April 27: The much-publicised unity of the Left front was not reflected in the latest official report on contesting candidates in Cooch Behar district.

 

After withdrawal of nominations the district panchayat election officer prepared a report on party-wise break-up of total number of candidates. According to this report the CPI-M candidates are contesting in 1,464 Gram Panchayat seats out of total 1,668 seats. The number of the Forward Bloc's contesting candidates is 810 while the CPI and RSP candidates are contesting in 18 and 42 seats.

 

In Panchayat Samiti tier the total number of seats is 353 in 12 blocks. Here the CPI-M is contesting in 316 seats. The Forward Bloc, the CPI and the RSP fielded candidates in 180, 4 and 10 seats respectively.

 

In the prestigious Zilla Parishad tier, the CPI-M candidates are contesting in 20 seats while the Forward Bloc and the RSP fielded candidates in 11 and 3 seats. The major difference among the Left front partners came up during sharing of seats in the Zilla Parishad tier. The Forward Bloc and the CPI-M failed to reach to an understanding over two seats in total 29 seats. These are Bhetaguri and Chandamari.

 

From the very beginning the RSP was a claimant of at least one ZP seat but they failed to convince the Left Front (read CPI-M) to allot the demanded seat. Getting aggrieved they fielded three candidates in ZP seats in Dinhata, Tufanganj and Mekhliganj sub-divisions. The CPI however rolled back from its demand for a ZP seat.

 

Today, secretary of district CPI, Mr Surath Chakraborty alleged that they fielded candidates in Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti tiers only and fielded no candidate in any Zilla Parishad seat following the decision of the Left Front but no other party but the CPI-M violated the decision by placing ghost candidates in the seats allotted to the CPI. It is nothing but an act of treachery. Condemning the CPI-M he said such act couldn't strengthen the unity of the Left Front. CPI-M sources however denied that they fielded ghost candidates against the CPI candidates.

 

On the otherhand, district CPI-M secretary and Left Front convenor, Mr Chandi Pal observed that the RSP lacks adequate organisational base in this district to win even in Gram Panchayat seats. Hence, they should not dream to be elected in ZP seats. For the greater interest of the Left Front unity it was expected that they might withdraw their candidates, he opined.

 

Mr Pal claimed that the RSP representative had agreed at the last LF meet that they will lift their candidates and a united decision was also taken to that effect. "Their changing of stand defying the Left Front's decision is unfortunate." At the same time the CPI-M leader opined that the district RSP leadership sans healthy political policy and ideals. []