Left plea to Bengal Congress

Left Front chairman Biman Bose on Wednesday renewed an appeal to the Congress to withdraw from the Raiganj and Murshidabad seats that the CPM had won in 2014.

The CPM politburo member promised a reciprocal gesture in Malda North and Jangipur, two of the four Bengal seats the Congress had won five years ago.

“It is not yet late for mutual withdrawal of candidates. My appeal to the Congress is to reconsider their decision that was accepted initially to ensure a combined fight against the BJP and Trinamul,” Bose said, adding the withdrawals were possible as last dates were not yet over.

Asked about the appeal, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya said “backtracking is not possible at this juncture”.