Amid tussle over Raiganj, Murshidabad with Congress, CPI(M) announces candidates

Amid the ongoing seat-sharing talks between the CPI(M) and the Congress in West Bengal, the Left Front Friday announced candidates for Raiganj and Murshidabad Lok Sabha seats. The announcement of candidates in these two seats held by the CPI(M) might lead to a breakdown in the seat-sharing discussions.

Mohammed Salim and Badaruddoza Khan would contest from Raiganj and Murshidabad Lok Sabha seats, respectively, Chairman of CPI(M)-led Left Front, Biman Bose, said. "We have decided that we won't field candidates in the four Lok Sabha seats won by the Congress last time," he added.

The CPI(M) won the two seats in a four-cornered contest, though they have been traditional Congress strongholds. While Uttar Dinajpur's Raiganj has been a pocket borough of Congress stalwart Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Murshidabad's politics has been dominated by the party's firebrand leader Adhir Chowdhury, who is also a vociferous supporter of the alliance with Left. The two seats, which were the only ones won by the CPI(M) in the last Lok Sabha polls, have been the bone of contention between the two sides since the beginning of discussions.

The Congress argues that the two areas are traditional Congress bastions and the party lost the seats in 2014 by narrow margins.

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