Cong, LF finalise seat sharing in 193 seats in WB, decision on rest 101 later

In 2016, we had successfully transferred ourvotes, but the Congress could not, a senior Left leadersaid.A senior Congress functionary said that the partytaking a cue from its performance in the recent Bihar pollswhere it bagged 18 out of the 70 seats it contested, hasdecided to focus on seats where it has good presence and aconsiderable vote share.We wont go for number of seats but onwinnability, he said.Reacting to the Left and Congress clinching theseat-sharing deal, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister ParthaChatterjee said the alliance will meet the same fate as in2016 assembly polls.Last time we TMC had defeated this alliance.

The Congress and Left Front onThursday finalised sharing of 193 seats of the total 294 inWest Bengal assembly with the Left parties getting the lion'sshare of 101 seats.

Announcing the poll deal, state Congress presidentAdhir Chowdhury Thursday said the party will contest in 92seats and the decision on the rest 101 will be taken at alater date.

The 193 seats for which the seat sharing was announcedinclude the 77 seats that Congress and the Left had won in the2016 state assembly polls, Chowdhury told reporters at a jointpress conference along with Left Front Chairman Biman Bose.

A second round of talks was held at Bidhan Bhavan, thestate Congress headquarters in the city during the day. Seniorleaders of both Congress and Left Front were present at themeeting.

''Today we have sealed our alliance in 193 seats. Inthe next few days we will settle the seat sharing in theremaining 101 seats. Apart from the 77 seats, which werealready decided on Monday, it was decided that Congress willcontest in another 48 seats and the LF in 68 more seats in thecoming state poll,'' Chowdhury said.

In 2016 out of the 77 won by the alliance the Congresshad bagged 44 seats and the LF 33. On Monday it was decidedthat both the parties will fight in the respective seatsthey had won in the last state assembly election.

Bose claimed the Left FrontCongress alliance will bea ''game changer'' in the assembly polls.

''The Congress and Left Front alliance will put up astrong fight against the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP whoare promoting communal politics in the state. Thepeace loving people of the state are looking for analternative and we will provide that alternative,'' Bose, whois also a CPI(M) Politburo member, said.

Chowdhury said that discussions were also held onjoint campaigning and a joint public rally is likely to beheld in February end.

According to sources in the Left parties and theCongress, the poll understandng on 193 seats has come as arelief for both sides as discussions on specificconstituencies had reached a deadlock.

''Apart from the 77 seats that both the parties had wonlast time, the seat sharing formula was based on second andthird positions in the last assembly polls. This time specialstress will be given in ensuring the transfer of votes betweenboth the parties. In 2016, we had successfully transferred ourvotes, but the Congress could not,'' a senior Left leadersaid.

A senior Congress functionary said that the partytaking a cue from its performance in the recent Bihar pollswhere it bagged 18 out of the 70 seats it contested, hasdecided to focus on seats where it has good presence and aconsiderable vote share.

''We won't go for number of seats but onwinnability,'' he said.

Reacting to the Left and Congress clinching theseat-sharing deal, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister ParthaChatterjee said the alliance will meet the same fate as in2016 assembly polls.

''Last time we (TMC) had defeated this alliance. Thistime too we will defeat it and the BJP. The people of Bengalhave full faith in Mamata Banerjee,'' Chatterjee, alsosecretary general of TMC, said.

Reacting to the development, state BJP president DilipGhosh said both Congress and the Left Front are a ''spentforce'' in Bengal.

''Both the Left and Congress have lost theircredibility in Bengal politics. It hardly matters whether theyforge an alliance or not,'' he said.

According to political observers, the Left-Congressalliance may not win the elections but will act as a catalystin the victory or defeat of TMC or BJP.

''In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls a four-cornered contesthad helped BJP to emerge as the main opposition in West Bengalas the Left Front and Congress had fought separately. In thecoming assembly poll, the performance of the Left Front andthe Congress alliance will be very crucial,'' politicalanalyst Biswanath Chakraborty said.

. ''If the alliance manages to cut into the oppositionvotes, then it will benefit TMC. And if it cuts into TMC'sMuslim vote base, it will benefit BJP. If the allianceperforms well, the TMC is likely to benefit most. If it failsto evoke any response then it will help the BJP,'' he said.

After winning 77 seats in the 2016 state polls, thealliance had broken after the CPI(M)-led Left Front walkedaway from Congress.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the alliance fell apartas the parties were unable to reach an agreement on seatsharing.

After Congress's dismal performance in the generalelection when it secured only two Lok Sabha seats and theCPI(M) failed to even open its account, the parties decided tocome together to fight the 2021 assembly polls.

Elections to the state assembly are likely to be heldin April-May this year.