NewKerala.com

Bengal Polls: AISF Gives Left Front Deadline for Seat-Sharing Deal

The All India Secular Front (AISF) has set a Sunday deadline for the CPI(M)-led Left Front to present its seat-sharing proposal for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. This comes after the Congress decided to contest the polls alone, altering the previous alliance dynamics. An AISF source stated their seat demand would be lower than Congress's, but internal disagreements within the Left Front are causing delays. A CPI(M) leader acknowledged the differences among allies like CPI and RSP but expressed confidence in reaching an amicable arrangement.

Key Points: AISF Sets Deadline for Left Front on Bengal Seat-Sharing

  • AISF sets Sunday deadline
  • Congress not part of alliance this time
  • Internal differences within Left Front
  • AISF threatens to announce candidates
  • Seat-sharing talks ongoing
2 min read

Bengal Assembly polls: AISF sets deadline for Left Front to spell out seat-sharing proposals

AISF demands West Bengal Left Front finalize seat-sharing proposals by Sunday for the Assembly polls, threatening to announce its own candidates.

"We cannot wait for an indefinite period. - AISF source"

Kolkata, Feb 12

All India Secular Front has set a deadline for CPI-led Left Front in West Bengal to spell out the front's seat-sharing proposals for the Assembly elections this year against the backdrop of the Congress decision to go it alone in the polls.

AISF sources said that a message had already been sent to the Left Front, especially to the front leader CPI(M), to spell out the seat-sharing proposal on its part by Sunday, failing which the AISF will start announcing its candidates in phases for different Assembly constituencies of its choice.

To recall, in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls, Left Front, Congress, and AISF got united under the umbrella body of 'Sanjukta Morcha' (United Front). However, AISF broke out of the arrangement in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, while Congress and Left Front continued with their seat-sharing arrangements.

"This time, since Congress will not be a part of the arrangement, the Left Front is expected to finalise the seat-sharing proposals with us at the earliest, since our demand for seats to contest will be much lower than what Congress would have demanded in case they had continued to be part of 'Sanjukta Morcha'. But probably, some differences in opinion among different allies within the Left Front are delaying their decisions on the seat-sharing formula. But we cannot wait for an indefinite period," said an AISF source who refused to be named.

In fact, the differences between the different allies of the Left Front over the seat-sharing formula were also admitted by a central committee member of CPI(M).

He said that since Congress is out this time, the other Left Front allies like CPI, All India Forward Bloc, and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) are also demanding additional seats.

"But we are confident that finally there will be an amicable seat-sharing arrangement both within the Left Front as well as with AISF," said the CPI(M) central committee member.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
Without Congress, the Left Front and AISF have a better chance to present a clear alternative to TMC and BJP. But they need to get their act together fast! This infighting just helps the ruling party. 🤦‍♀️
R
Rahul R
As a voter from Kolkata, I'm tired. Every election it's the same story - alliances breaking, new ones forming, and endless negotiations. Just tell us what you stand for and let us decide.
A
Anjali F
The CPI(M) member sounds confident about an "amicable arrangement", but the ground reality is different. The Left Front needs to understand that smaller parties like AISF have their own strongholds and cannot be taken for granted. Respect is a two-way street.
V
Varun X
Frankly, the 'Sanjukta Morcha' experiment failed last time. Why should voters trust a new arrangement now? The Left needs to rebuild from the grassroots, not just play musical chairs with seats.
M
Michael C
Watching from abroad, the political fragmentation in Bengal is fascinating. AISF setting a deadline is a smart tactical move to force the Left's hand. The real question is whether a non-Congress, non-TMC, non-BJP front can actually gain traction.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50