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Making it clear that the alliance between the Left Front and the Congress is not working out here in West Bengal, the two parties have decided to fight each other in majority of the 42 seats.
The Congress claimed that it will “leave” five Lok sabha seats for the Left Front as a “goodwill gesture”; while the latter has not fielded candidates in two.
The five seats which the Congress will not contest include Diamond Harbour, Tamluk, Assansol, Arambag and Bishnupur ; while the Left Front is not fielding candidates at Baharampur and Malda South.
“As a goodwill gesture towards the Left Front, we have decided not to field our candidates in five seats. We expect that the Left parties will acknowledge and refrain from fielding candidates in the four seats won by the Congress last time,” said Pradip Bhattacharjee, veteran Congress leader.
Later that day, the Left Front Chairman, Biman Bose, issued a statement and named candidates in the Congress bastions of Maldah Uttar and Jangipur. The Congress will now contest 37 of the 42 seats here in West Bengal; while the Left Front will contest 40 seats.
“The Congress retracted on the no mutual contest (with Left Front) arrangement for the 6 seats that the two parties won last time. We might reconsider our stand if the Congress takes a step back and withdraws candidates from the Raigunj and Murshidabad seats,” said Bose.
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