This story is from February 20, 2019

CPM-Cong ‘pact’ hurdle in Raiganj, Murshidabad

CPM-Cong ‘pact’ hurdle in Raiganj, Murshidabad
Kolkata: Two seats — Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur and Murshidabad — have come in the way of the proposed electoral understanding between CPM and Congress in Bengal when these two parties are keen to chart a non-aggression formula to sharpen their attack against Trinamool and BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.
CPM politburo member Mohammed Salim is the MP from Raiganj that once happened to be the home turf of senior Congress leader Deepa Das Munshi.
Congress veteran A H Khan Chowdhury from Malda had requested Deepa to contest from Malda North, but she declined, saying she was willing to fight from Raiganj if the party wanted her in fray.
BJP, on the other hand, is nursing hopes on the Congress leader, though there is no confirmation from Deepa. “I don’t like responding to hearsay. I can only say that I am with my own party,” she said.
The Murshidabad seat is another problem area. CPM’s Badaruddoza Khan is the sitting MP. But former Pradesh Congress president and Behrampore MP Adhir Chowdhury wants the seat this time. Chowdhury called on Pradesh Congress president Somen Mitra at his Kolkata home a few days ago and told him he will field an Independent if Congress doesn’t field a candidate for Murshidabad.
Breaking the logjam would have been easier if the two parties had developed on the primary formula that CPM wouldn’t field candidates in the four Lok Sabha seats Congress won in 2014 — Malda North, Malda South, Behrampore and Jangipur — and similarly, Congress wouldn’t contest from the two seats — Raiganj and Murshidabad — which CPM had won in the last LS polls.
As a result, leaders of both parties are not able to talk now with Trinamool about those seats where Left Front or Congress finished second, like Purulia. TMC’s Mriganka Mahato is the sitting Purulia MP. Mahato had won the seat in 2014, defeating Forwa-rd Bloc. But this time, Congress leader Nepal Mahato is determined to contest from the seat. Mahato is likely to fight on a Congress ticket unless he decides otherwise.
An extension of this formula is to put up a common candidate in seats such as Kolkata Uttar, where none of the two parties has a chance of winning. CPM and Congress leaders are looking for an Independent secular candidate for this seat to counter Trinamool and BJP.
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