Panchayat polls: Seat share may be in Bloc’s favour

Express news service Posted: Apr 06, 2008 at 0147 hrs
Kolkata, April 05 The CPM is likely to give more seats to the Forward Bloc in the upcoming panchayat elections in the districts where the latter has a stronghold. The seat-sharing formula was discussed at the Left Front meeting held at Alimuddin Street on Saturday.

According to sources, the CPM and other Left Front allies have agreed to give more seats to the Bloc in the three districts of Birbhum, Purulia and Cooch Behar where it is stronger and has a wide support base.

“We are considering their demand of an increase in seat share in some districts. One must pay heed to the specific needs of each party in our Front,” said a senior CPM leader. It has been Bloc’s long-standing grouse that it gets fewer seats than it deserves in the districts where it has a strong following. This was one of the causes that had made the party to go alone in the panchayat elections. However, it changed the decision recently.

CPM leaders Biman Bose, Madan Ghosh, CPI leader Manju Kumar Majumder, RSP leader Kshiti Goswami and Forward Bloc stalwart Ashok Ghosh were among those present at the meeting.