Forward Bloc to fight W.Bengal local body polls alone

Fissures have appeared in the ruling Left Front in West Bengal.

By Soma Mitra

Birbhaum (West Bengal), Dec.10 : Fissures have appeared in the ruling Left Front in West Bengal.

The state secretary of Forward Bloc, Ashok Ghosh, today announced that the party would fight the forthcoming Panchayat Polls alone, and not as a partner of the Left Front .

Addressing a press conference in Birbhaum in Bolpur District, Ghosh said: "We will nominate our own candidates wherever we are strong."

Significantly, he also mentioned "We would not join hands with forces like the Congress or the Trinamul Congress. The Forward Bloc would not join hands with any other Left Front partner."

At its state council meeting, the Forward Bloc had decided that the party would not tolerate the CPI-M's big brotherly attitude anymore.

Ghosh alleged that the Left Front Government had become the CPI-M Government now and, it did not fulfill the basic understanding of the Left Front.

Despite this announcement of "going it alone", Ghosh made it clear that the Forward Bloc is still an ally of the Left Front .

When he was asked if his party would stick to the same combine during the Assembly polls, Ghosh replied: 'That depends on the situation.'

Differences between the CPI-M and other Left allies like the Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) are becoming prominent. It is mainly over the issue of land acquisition for industrialization. The RSP and the Forward Bloc have raised their voices repeatedly against 'the way the agricultural land has been acquired for industries by the State Government.

Incidents like Nandigram have added fuel to the differences. The Forward Bloc and the RSP have both publicly criticized the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya-led Government on the incident.

The differences have become sharper with the CPI-M recapture of Nandigram, which was quite bloody.

ANI