The state Congress president, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, issued an ultimatum on Monday to Congress workers, asking them to campaign jointly with Left parties despite the delay in sealing a seat-sharing arrangement.

“The party will take action against those who do not campaign where our allies are contesting the polls against the BJP and the Trinamul,” said Chowdhury, while chatting with media persons in Berhampore, a seat that he has been representing since 1999.

In Birbhum, seven local leaders were suspended for six years for their refusal to campaign for the Left-supported Congress nominee, Milton Rasheed, on charges of anti-party activity and tacit collaboration with the BJP.

Despite several rounds of talks and the eagerness of both the Bengal Congress and the CPM in building a broader consensus of parties opposed to both the Trinamul and the BJP, a formal alliance has failed to take shape yet.

For example, in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in the three North Bengal constituencies – Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri --- scheduled for April 19, the Congress nominated Piya Roy Chowdhury for the Cooch Behar seat though the name of a Forward Bloc nominee had been announced for the seat much earlier. The CPM has made it clear in Cooch Behar it will stand firmly with the ally. On Saturday, the last day of withdrawal of nomination, the Congress nominee refused to withdraw herself from the fray, despite a request to the Congress leadership from CPM veteran and Left Front chairman Biman Bose.

On the same day, Bose had joined a campaign rally for Congress nominee Pradip Bhattacharya for the Calcutta North seat that the latter is contesting.

“Our party cadres are turning out to campaign for the Congress nominees, but that is not being reciprocated. The Congress is not working for our candidates,” said a CPM politburo member from Bengal.

In three of the seats in and around Calcutta, like Calcutta South, Jadavpur and Dum Dum where the CPM has fielded candidates, Congress workers have been reluctant in joining the campaign.

Heads of several district units and frontal organisations of the Congress had cited lack of a clear directive from either the Pradesh Congress Committee or the All India Congress Committee on working in tandem with comrades from the Left, and asked its members to stay away from a joint campaign.

Chowdhury’s stern message on Monday should pave the way for a smoother campaign, though how much of it will translate into votes will remain doubtful as both the parties, which enjoyed power in Bengal over prolonged stretches, have organisationally weakened considerably in the last ten years.

Chowdhury said he will campaign for CPM state secretary Mohammad Salim who is contesting from the next-door Murshidabad constituency. "Of course, I will campaign for Salim. We are serious about joint campaign. Wherever possible we will campaign for the Left candidates like they are doing for us,” said Chowdhury.

Leaders in both camps are hopeful that the seven phase polling in Bengal has given them enough time to settle differences and reach a consensus. Out of the 42 seats in the state, the Left and the Congress have announced candidates in 31 seats. Both are confident that candidates for the remaining seats will be announced shortly.

On Sunday, Calcutta South Congress leaders held a meeting with CPM representatives at Promode Dasgupta Bhawan for campaign coordination.

Both the CPM and the Congress are hopeful of ironing out the differences on the remaining seats, especially the contentious Purulia. Though Congress has nominated Nepal Mahato, the Forward Bloc, smarting after the Cooch Behar episode, is keen on fielding its own nominee. Despite several meetings, FB leaders in Purulia have refused to budge.

The CPM also has to deal with a renegade Indian Secular Front --- its partner in the 2021 Assembly polls. Though both the Congress and CPM had agreed to support the ISF’s Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddiqui had he contested from Diamond Harbour, the ISF has kept the seat out of the eight constituencies for which it has named candidates. Some seats like Serampore and Maldah South, where the CPM and the Congress have fielded candidates respectively, the ISF is keen on contesting. Despite the CPM’s requests, the ISF has not softened its stance.

“We are prepared to contest from the Diamond Harbour seat. We will get the Congress support,” said a CPM state committee member.