With Congress, Left joining hands, CPM leader Mohammad Salim says battle lines drawn in Bengal

A day after the Congress high command approved its alliance with the Left Front for next year’s state Assembly polls, CPM leader Mohammad Salim said the battle lines in West Bengal have been drawn.

“For last one year we have been working together. We, all 16 Left parties and the Congress, have been on the streets to raise people’s issues. This alliance was there at the grassroots level. Now, the battle lines have been drawn. People are on one side, while the BJP and TMC are on the other,” said Salim.

On Thursday, the CPM welcomed the Congress’ decision to enter into an electoral alliance with the Left Front for next year’s Assembly polls in West Bengal. CPM is the biggest constituent of the Left Front in Bengal. Other constituents are CPI, Forward Bloc and RSP.

Responding to a question on who will be the face of this alliance, the CPM leader said that this is not the time to hold discussions on it. “It has been decided that both Left and Congress will jointly contest the election next year. Discussions will now take place on several issues, including seat sharing. This is not the right time to discuss on who is going to be the face of the alliance. It is the need of the hour to defeat both BJP and TMC and put an alternative before people,” said Salim.

The two parties had contested the 2016 Assembly polls together in the state but failed to make much impact. The alliance won only 76 seats of the state’s 294 seats. The Congress won 44 seats and the Left Front bagged only 32 seats.

However, the tie-up between both the parties did not materialise ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, resulting in dismal electoral performances.