Asok likely to be sole LF nominee

TT, Siliguri, March 8: The CPM state secretariat member and Siliguri mayor, Asok Bhattacharya, is likely to be the only Left Front candidate in Darjeeling district in the Assembly elections, thanks to the understanding between the Front and the Congress to ensure the defeat of Trinamul.

The district has six Assembly segments, and two of them — Matigara-Naxalbari and Phansidewa — were among the 75 seats where the Congress would contest. 

The CPM had announced Bhattacharya as its candidate in Siliguri yesterday.

The mayor today hinted that the Left Front wouldn’t field candidates in the three other seats in the hills — Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. 

“We have made it clear that any political party which wants to remove Trinamul from power is welcome to 

join hands with us. There is a strong political party (Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) which is vocal against Trinamul in the hills. We believe this party can defeat Trinamul and so, we will not make any such move which can help Trinamul in the hills,” Bhattacharya said. 

Congress leaders in the district had already said off record that the party would not field candidates in the three hill constituencies. 

“According to the present situation, it can be easily said Bhattacharya is the only candidate of the Left Front in Darjeeling district. With the Congress today declaring Matigara-Naxalbari and Phansidewa as its seats and the three hill segments set to remain uncontested by the Left and the Congress, Bhattacharya is the only Left candidate in the district,” said an observer.