Cong-ISF undecided; BJP, TMC lists soon
With just a week left to file the nomination for the first phase of West Bengal Assembly polls, the Indian Secular Front (ISF) is still holding talks with the Congress over the North Bengal seat sharing ratio.
ISF secretary, Noushad Siddiqui who attended the closed door meeting with the Left Front and Congress and the CPI (M) headquarters in Kolkata, said that though the ratio for the South Bengal seats are finalised with the Congress, talks are still on for the North Bengal seats. According to Congress sources, the ISF is demanding seats which are Congress citadel.
"There are several minority constituencies that are a strong hold of the Congress but ISF is demanding those seats, which cannot be given," mentioned the sources.
Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh urged West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to quit Congress after the humiliation during the Brigade rally on February 28.
Notably, member of the opposition in parliament Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had to stop his speech in between as Abbas Siddiqui walked up the dais as all the Left Front leaders were seen standing to welcome the Furfura Serif cleric.
Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP observer Kailash Vijaywargiya said that the BJP is likely to give out the candidates list on March 5.
"We haven't finalised the name. We will again sit with the names before we send it to Delhi. The central leaders are likely to hold a meeting regarding this on March 4. There will be several surprises," said Vijaywargiya taking part in a 'Kirtan' program in Kolkata's Shahid Minar area.
Former Asansol Mayor joins BJP
In another defection former Asansol Municipal corporation Mayor Jeetendra Tiwary on Tuesday joined the saffron camp. Under the presence of West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh, Tiwary defected to the BJP at a public meeting at Baidyabati area in Hooghly district.
Notably, a couple of months back in a letter to Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Firhad Hakim, Tiwary had complained that the senior TMC leaders didn't allow him to work for the uplift of Asansol. Soon after this letter Tiwary also left all his posts including the TMC district president of West Burdwan.