Congress to contest in 92 constituencies in West Bengal

After a marathon meeting between the Congress and the Left parties, it was decided that the former would field its candidates in 92 constituencies. While the Indian Secular Front (ISF) raised the demand to contest in minority-dominated Malda and Murshidabad districts, the Congress party clarified that it would not forgo the constituencies.

Kolkata: The Congress party in West Bengal would contest in 92 constituencies out of 294 constituencies, as per the decision made after a marathon meeting with the Congress and the Left Front on Monday.

However, state Congress president, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, made it clear that Congress will not forgo its claim in the Assembly constituencies of Murshidabad and Malda districts, two traditional strongholds of the party. He also said that in order to accommodate the Indian Secular Front, the Congress party should be given additional seats in the upcoming polls.

The marathon meeting that was supposed to finalize the seat-sharing agreement was attended among others by Chowdhury, Congress MLAs Manoj Chakraborty and Nepal Mahato, CPI(M)’s state secretary, Dr Suryakanta Mishra and the party politburo member, Mohammad Salim.

The first phase of nomination in West Bengal will start on Tuesday. In such a situation, the inability to reach a consensus has led to confusion and uncertainty.

ISF, floated by Abbas Siddique, continues to be the determining factor for a smooth anti-BJP and anti-Trinamool Congress grand alliance in West Bengal. The Left Front has agreed to forgo 30 Assembly constituencies under its quota in favour of ISF. Congress is yet to make its own picture clear on this count. The tension mounts as ISF has demanded seats mainly from minority-dominated Malda and Murshidabad districts and uncertainty looms over the grand alliance.

Congress would announce the list of candidates shortly. However, the Left Front would take some time in announcing the same, said Left Front chairman, Biman Bose.