Addressing a joint rally of a few thousand people near Siliguri, Nirmal Ghosh Dastidar, Jaipalguri district president of the Congress, said CPI (M) West Bengal secretary Surjyakant Mishra will be the next Chief Minister of the State. Dastidar’s comments were welcomed by people, but Mishra, the chief speaker, did not want to comment on a hypothetical situation.

Mishra focused more on the necessity of a people’s front, in his speech. “This front is not of some leaders, but of the people of West Bengal,” he said.

While the Congress always wants to project a leader to win elections, the Left is apprehensive of individual projection due to several reasons, including organisational issues. Mishra told BusinessLine that the campaign reminded him of the elections in 1977 and 2004. “In 1977, we were not even dreaming that the oppressive Congress regime can be defeated. But even Congress workers helped us in making that a reality. Similarly, everyone thought the BJP will retain power in 2004, but people had something else in mind. The situation is similar in 2016. People want this government to go,” a confident Mishra said.

His Congress counterpart Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is also confident that the alliance will bring surprises once the votes are counted. “It was not at all a difficult alliance. We just followed the people,” Chowdhury said.

Hushed problems

But in several areas, the Left Front-Congress alliance is facing problems. It is not functioning as smooth on the ground as leaders of both parties want us to believe.

“There is no class component in this,” said a senior CPI (M) leader, who had warned both the State and Central leadership against any understanding with the Congress. “Some leaders and a prominent media house are behind this alliance. This is not people’s alliance,” he said.

In several areas, where violent fights between CPI (M)-Congress workers used to happen, things are difficult for the alliance. “How will we campaign for the Congress? Their goons have been threatening us till date,” a woman activist of the CPI (M) from Murshidabad district said.

The leadership is strategically using “friendly fight” in about 15 such constituencies. “A triangular fight is a must in such constituencies. Otherwise, strong anti-CPI (M) votes of the Congress may go to the Trinamool Congress or to the BJP. Similarly, a good number of cadre of the CPI (M) are still anti-Congress and only a triangular contest will ensure Trinamool Congress candidate’s defeat,” said a Congress leader.

“There is so much negativity in the campaign. We have not offered any alternatives to the people who want to dislodge the Mamata Banerjee government,” said another leader of the CPI (M) from North Bengal. He said the alliance is not working in South Bengal, where the Congress has no base.

“There will be revolt in the party if the Congress gains more seats than the CPI (M). The entire alliance is stitched to help the Congress revive,” he added.

“Why did they not form such an alliance in Assam, Bihar or Kerala? This is an opportunist alliance and good comrades and good Congressmen will not vote for them,” said TMC Minister Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury.

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