Till now, CPM's Biman Bose has called ties with the Congress an "understanding". (File photo)
Kolkata:
The Bengal CPM has been reined in by the party's top leadership about its move for an "understanding" with the Congress to fight the Assembly polls in the state, something that could jeopardise the tie-up much more seriously than the dispute that has arisen between the two sides today over a total of 14 seats.
Top CPM leaders raised a red flag this evening, said sources, after the Left named candidates to 84 seats. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has called it an "unholy, unprincipled alliance".
The Left also announced that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal United (JDU) had come on board and would contest four seats in the state. But the frown from the top has come as something of a wet blanket all around.
Till now, CPM's Biman Bose has called ties with the Congress an "understanding" though state Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury says an alliance is an alliance by any other name.
In Delhi, Adhir Chowdhury met party vice president Rahul Gandhi and said the alliance had the party high command's nod. But CPM's main decision making body, the Central Committee, has reservations because of direct rivalry with the Congress in Kerala and because the party had resolved last April: no truck with the Congress.
How the Bengal unit of the CPM gets round that is being keenly watched. "The people want an alliance to take on Trinamool so anti-Trinamool votes are not divided," said a senior leader. In the districts, the two parties have been holding joint rallies. Today, their trade unions held a joint march in Kolkata.
When controversy erupted today over 14 seats, both Mr Bose and Mr Chowdhury said talks were on to resolve the issue. The Left first named 116 candidates. Then Congress issued a list of 75 seats. Today, the Left announced candidates to 84 seats. But the Congress had already laid claim to 10 of those seats and four seats allotted to RJD and JDU.
Top CPM leaders raised a red flag this evening, said sources, after the Left named candidates to 84 seats. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has called it an "unholy, unprincipled alliance".
The Left also announced that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal United (JDU) had come on board and would contest four seats in the state. But the frown from the top has come as something of a wet blanket all around.
Till now, CPM's Biman Bose has called ties with the Congress an "understanding" though state Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury says an alliance is an alliance by any other name.
In Delhi, Adhir Chowdhury met party vice president Rahul Gandhi and said the alliance had the party high command's nod. But CPM's main decision making body, the Central Committee, has reservations because of direct rivalry with the Congress in Kerala and because the party had resolved last April: no truck with the Congress.
How the Bengal unit of the CPM gets round that is being keenly watched. "The people want an alliance to take on Trinamool so anti-Trinamool votes are not divided," said a senior leader. In the districts, the two parties have been holding joint rallies. Today, their trade unions held a joint march in Kolkata.
When controversy erupted today over 14 seats, both Mr Bose and Mr Chowdhury said talks were on to resolve the issue. The Left first named 116 candidates. Then Congress issued a list of 75 seats. Today, the Left announced candidates to 84 seats. But the Congress had already laid claim to 10 of those seats and four seats allotted to RJD and JDU.
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