LOK SABHA ELECTION

Poll plan of parties in Cooch Behar

COOCH BEHAR, March 10: Taking it granted that a Congress-Trinamul Congress alliance is coming up, both the parties are now busy in working out their poll strategies. As Trinamul Congress id confident that they are to get the Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat of the proposed alliance, their prospective candidates are anxious about their fate.

In a meeting of district Chhatra Parishad activists held in Cooch Behar today, the district Congress president Mr Biren Kundu termed the relation with the Trinamul Congress as of a temporary nature. "They are our weak enemy and we should not consider the friendship with them as permanent. If the alliance fails to turn up we should work hard for our own candidate", Mr Kundu said.

Later, Mr Kundu, who is also the chairman of Cooch Behar Municipality, told The Statesman that they kept names of three candidates ready. If they have to fight alone the candidate would be selected from these trio. They are Mr Sailen Barma, Mr Paresh Barman and Mr Keshab Roy. Mr Barma contested earlier too and he is the first choice of the district Congress, Mr Kundu hinted.

About Trinamul Congress candidate, the Congress leader said, "It is upto the party concerned to select their candidate but the acceptability to all should be considered." Mr Arghya Roy Pradhan has no political identity in this district. His name came up as he is the son of ex-MP Mr Amar Roy Pradhan. "We have no objection against him", he added. About another prospective Trinamul Congress candidate Mr Shibendra Nath Barman, Mr Kundu said, he is a good candidate with a political background. He was the district president of Trinamul Youth Congress and active in politics. As an alliance candidate he may be acceptable to all, the Congress leader opined.

Mr Kundu however denied that they have any plan to field a dummy candidate against the official Trinamul candidate.