RSP sticks to its stand to contest in ZP seats.

                       CPM says 'unfortunate and anti-LF stand'.

 

COOCH BEHAR, April 24: The RSP will not withdraw its candidates in Cooch Behar. The decision was adopted in the party's district secretariat meeting held on Wednesday night. The meeting was held in presence of the party's state committee member Mr Binay Chakraborty. District RSP secretary Mr Gopal Chaki, Mr Ranajit Deb, Mr Narayan Deb and other district secretariat members attended the meet and approved the decision.

 

It was decided that the RSP would contest in three Zilla Parishad seats, thirty Gram Panchayat seats and seven Panchayat Samiti seats, a secretariat member of the party, Mr Ranajit Deb said.

 

It may be mentioned here that the RSP had filed nominations for three ZP seats – Tufanganj-II, Dinhata-II and Haldibari. In total 29 seats in the Zilla Parishad tier the CPI-M took 18 and the Forward Bloc 9. Two seats are still lying as disputed ones between the CPI-M and the FB. No ZP seats were allotted to other LF parties like CPI and RSP.

 

A meeting of the district Left Front was held on Monday. After that meeting the district Left Front convenor and the district CPI-M secretary Mr Chandi Pal had said that the RSP agreed to withdraw its three ZP candidates in the greater interest of Left Front unity. The RSP and other LF partners agreed to maintain LF unity during the election process, he had claimed.

 

Today, the district RSP secretary Mr Gopal Chaki said, it was decided at the left Front's 14 April meet that all local LF leaders will work for achieving total unity at Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samity tiers. This process was to be completed by 16 April at sub-divisional level. The LF partners were asked to complete bipartite talks among themselves by that deadline following the Left Front's guideline on seat sharing. But, till today it was not done, Mr Chaki alleged. "In that meeting they requested us to withdraw our candidates but no decision was taken enforcing us to lift our candidates", he said.

 

"Now, we have every right to take an independent decision", Mr Chaki added. "We cannot allow the Left Front to act as a platform shared by CPI-M and Forward Bloc only", he said.

 

On the otherhand, district CPI-M secretary Mr Chandi Pal quipped that the RSP lacks adequate strong organisational base 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 they should withdraw their candidates, he suggested.

 

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