CPM asks CPI to stake claim on Rajya Sabha seat

Kolkata, March 10 CPM’s ploy to pitch one of its Left Front allies against another, to contain the threat posed by Forward Bloc to the “big brother”, has boomeranged on the party. According to sources, CPM has urged CPI to stake its claim on the Rajya Sabha seat from the state, which has traditionally been occupied by Forward Bloc. This was done in order to exert pressure on the Bloc, which had a number of times made public their difference of opinions with the CPM. “But now that the Bloc has not even managed to garner one seat on its own in the Tripura Assembly elections, where it decided to go it alone, there is a need to change our strategy,” said a CPM leader. Reportedly, of the five representatives from the state in Rajya Sabha, three will be from CPM and fourth will be an all-party consensus nominate. The remaining seat is the bone of contention between CPI and Bloc. Earlier, CPM had thought Subhas Ghisingh will be nominated as the consensus candidate. Now the party is thinking of fielding an “eminent member” of the Muslim community.