The CPIM is trying to get former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya to the Brigade rally on February 28, to be jointly held by the Left Front and Congress.

According to Bengali news portal The Wall, CPIM has requested Bhattacharya’s medical team to allow him to take part in the Brigade for five minutes. The doctors, though, haven’t yet given the nod to the ailing ex-Finance Minister of Bengal.

Advertisement

Bhattacharya is under strict medical guidance after he had to be hospitalized twice in the last one year. He is believed to be suffering from age-related health issues.

Asserting that Bhattacharya’s health remained the party’s first priority, CPIM leader Robin Deb said, “We are trying [to bring Bhattacharya to Brigade]. But his doctors have not given the permission yet. If they allow, then he might come to Brigade for five minutes.”

Since their declaration of contesting the upcoming state assembly polls together, it’ll be the biggest join event of the Left Front and Congress. They are likely to officially launch their election campaign from the Brigade parade ground.

Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui, whose party Indian Secular Front may also become a part of the Left-Congress alliance, would be present on February 28. The seat-sharing deal between ISF and Congress and Left, though, has not been finalised yet.

The seat-sharing talks between the Left Front, Congress and ISF has hit one hurdle after another in recent times. The most latest has been Siddiqui asking for Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM to be a part of it.

Both the Left Front and Congress had shown no interest in having AIMIM. And with Congress’ staunch attacks on Owaisi’s party after the Bihar polls last year, it became apparent that the Hyderabad-headquartered party would find no place in the alliance.

In terms of compromising seats, while the Left has been accommodative, Congress has taken a strong arm approach in front of the ISF in terms of sharing seats for the grand alliance in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Election.

The Left parties are believed to have compromised 30 seats to the ISF. CPIM alone have spared around 20. Congress has so far agreed to sacrifice eight seats to the the ISF.

It was reported earlier Siddiqui’s ISF had demanded a minimum of 45 seats after starting negotiations from 72, asking Congress to sacrifice some of its winning seats in Murshidabad, Malda and South 24 Parganas.

The West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury then served a stern ultimatum that their won’t be any compromise from its end for seats in Murshidabad and Malda region. They also disagreed to spare seats in South 24 Parganas that they had won in 2016.

Reportedly this hardcore stance from Chowdhury has not gone down well with Congress and Bengal’s main opposition leader Abdul Mannan. The latter has let his disenchantment known in a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

The party supremo had directed the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) to complete seat-sharing deal by January 31. But with Mannan and Chowdhury failing to reach a consensus, the All India Congres Committee (AICC) may take matters in its own hand now.