Kolkata: Notwithstanding the Congress’ ultimatum to take a call on a tie-up within Sunday, the CPI(M) leadership in West Bengal decided Thursday to keep the door open for seat-sharing with the Congress and urged them not to make any decision in haste.
During the CPI(M) state committee meeting which continued till late Thursday, the party decided that in order to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the state, steps would be taken for maximum pooling of anti-BJP and anti-TMC votes.
The development comes a day after the state Congress said there would be no seat-sharing with the CPI(M) by compromising the party’s dignity.
“It has been decided that the Congress would be asked not to act in haste, rather they should give time to discussions. It is not possible to take a call by Sunday as, from March 3, our two-day central committee meeting is slated to begin. All issues can be solved through discussions,” a CPI(M) state committee member said.
State Congress sources, who spoke to this agency on condition of anonymity, said it had been decided that the chairman of the state co-ordination committee, Pradip Bhattacharya, and Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Abdul Mannan would speak to the CPI(M) on the issue of seat-sharing and the matter should to sorted out by March 3.
“We can’t wait till eternity for the CPI(M). They have our list of seats. Now, it is for them to take a call on the matter on what they want. We will not compromise with our dignity for the sake of seat-sharing. We have our list of 42 candidates prepared,” a senior state Congress leader asserted.
PTI