Barb at Front partner - Congress candidate in Alipurduar alleges 'tacit understanding' between RSP and Trinamul

TT, Alipurduar, April 8: The Congress candidate for Alipurduar, who is being backed by the Left parties, except the RSP, today alleged that there was a tacit understanding between the Trinamul Congress and the RSP in the constituency to defeat him.

In Alipurduar, Nirmal Das has filed the nomination as the RSP candidate by going against the district Left Front's decision to support the Congress. Biswaranjan Sarkar is the Congress candidate, while Trinamul has fielded district president Sourav Chakraborty.

Both the RSP and Trinamul have started their campaigns but are refraining from making any remark against each other. Both the parties are, however, targeting Sarkar.

"Nirmal Das did not withdraw his nomination for certain reasons. We have information that when he saw that there was no chance for him to win, he started asking people to vote for Trinamul. His sole intention is to defeat me. It is evident that the RSP and Trinamul have a tacit understanding and they are not saying a word against each other. I am their common target," Sarkar said.

In the 2014 Parliament polls, Trinamul was behind the RSP in Alipurduar Assembly segment if the votes of the Left and Congress were taken together.

"However, as there is an RSP candidate in the fray, there is a chance that the Left votes would split. In Alipurduar, the RSP has a share of around 35 per cent of the total Left votes. The remaining votes will, however, go to the Congress," said an observer. "There is another problem for the Congress as Debaprasad Roy, the sitting Congress MLA, is vocal against the alliance. So, the Congress votes might also split in the seat. The ruling party has a slightly advantageous position than the alliance."

Biman Bose, the state Left Front chairman, had announced Nirmal's name for the seat. Later, however, it was decided that as the Congress had won the seat in 2011, it would be allotted to the party.

RSP leaders, however, fielded Nirmal in the seat.

"In our campaign, we are categorically highlighting that as per the state Left Front's decision, Nirmal Das is the LF candidate here. The CPM leaders have flouted the decision and are supporting Biswaranjan Sarkar," Subrata Das, an RSP leader and member of the Alipurduar zilla parishad, said.