In the backdrop of continuous political enmity with Trinamul Congress coupled with inroads from BJP, CPI-M and Congress nominees in the panchayat elections are entering into understandings which they hope will enable them to win the forthcoming rural elections.

Though top CPI-M leadership have ruled out any possibility of any alliance with Congress, the former’s activists are entering into understanding to defeat their common political foe-Trinamul Congress.

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Neither the PCC nor the CPI-M leaders have been kept posted of the details of such understanding, leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Abdul Mannan said on Saturday.

The leaders of both the parties are unaware of the ground realities in the far flung districts where our activisits, as well as that of the Left Front, are continuously facing atrocities of the Trinamul supporters, he felt.

Congress and front nominees have been fielded on the basis of the support base of the respective parties, the state Youth Congress chief, Al Beruni said.
This will esnure that votes cast against the ruling party are not fragmented and a better chance of victory of the Opposition nominees from the Congress or the front, he said.

An ‘unofficial understanding’ between local leaderships in both parties are agreed to leave the field for the stronger candidates either from CPI-M or Congress.

This understading pact has already been put into practice across several districts like Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia ahead of the panchayat polls. It is felt that had the nominations been allowed to be filed peacefully, the understanding between Congress and Left would have bene more widespread.

Ever since, the Congress and front contested the state Assembly elections in 2016 on an electoral understanding, the supporters of both the parties have set aside their political differences, the leader of the Oppostion said.
In the panchayat elections, the rank and file of both the parties in the rural areas will not need much prompting to close ranks, he said.

Most of these understading are taking place in the north Bengal districts namely Malda and Murshidabad which are known to be Congress strongholds, state Youth Congress president said.

One should not lose sight of the fact that Opposition nominees have not been allowed to file nominations in large parts of the state, he said.

An ‘unofficial understanding’ between local leaderships of both parties have bene arrived at to leave the field for the stronger candidates either from CPI-M or Congress.

“Villagers are well experienced and they know whom to vote to prevent Trinamul and BJP. We could not file nominations in thousands of seats in rural polls and obviously people will vote for anti-Trinamul and anti-BJP force like Congress.”

“There is no question of giving any instructions separately to the people because they will vote for Congress where the Left could not field candidates. Similarly, people will cast their votes for us where there are no candidates for Congress in many seats,” said Mr Sujon Chakraborty, CPI-M central committee member.

Although nominations have been filed by candidates of both parties in many places, there could be many withdrawals – once the election process resumes – to ensure the stronger candidate of the two remains in the fray, according to a CPI-M insider.

In Murshidabad, the Congress and CPM have already held joint rallies in many places in the district to file nominations together. In Nadia, the Congress sources said the CPM had agreed to back Congress nominees wherever it is unable to field candidates.