Facing the toughest electoral battle in its 34 years of rule in West Bengal, the Left Front on Sunday announced its list of candidates, dropping two thirds of sitting members that included nine ministers — some of them party heavyweights.
Desperate to change the image of the front from that of an old and haggard grouping to a young and dynamic alliance, 149 out of 294 Left Front candidates are new. The majority of these changes were effected by the Front leader CPM. The party changed its candidates in 114 constituencies.
More than half- a- dozen Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) members have been fielded as candidates. The youngest of all its candidates is SFI leader Satarup Ghosh, a 25- year- old Calcutta University student. Ghosh would contest from Kasba constituency in south Kolkata. Similarly, DYFI secretary Abhas Roy Choudhury would contest from Barabani constituency in Burdwan district.
The Front gave tickets to 46 women this time against 34 in the 2006 assembly elections. Most of the women candidates are new, and young. “Many of our young candidates are below 30 years of age,” Biman Bose, chairman of Left Front in West Bengal, said.
The Front has also given more seats to candidates from the minority communities this time than the last elections. It fielded 64 candidates from the communities, including 57 Muslims. To accommodate new faces in the list, nine ministers have been dropped from the poll battle. “The ministers were dropped from the list because all of them wanted to work for the party,” Bose said.
The nine ministers are — Manab Mukherjee, Jogesh Barman, Partha De, Tapan Roy, Binoy Biswas, Bankim Ghosh, Rabindranath Hembrom, Rabindra Ghosh and Nandagopal Bhattacharjee. While most of the ministers were dropped for non- performance, it is believed that tourism minister Manab Mukherjee has been dropped for his alleged involvement in a land controversy in Rajarhat. Mukherjee’s wife was allocated a plot of land in Rajarhat, which she was forced to return last year after it was exposed by the media.
Assembly Speaker H. A. Halim retired from politics on health grounds, and would not contest the elections. However, his son Farhoud Halim, who is a doctor by profession, will stand from Ballygunge constituency.
Even deputy speaker of the state assembly, Bhakti Pada Ghosh (Forward Bloc), has been dropped from the list. In his constituency, Dubrajpur in Birbhum district, Benoy Bagdi is the new candidate. Party ticket was also denied to CPM member and chip whip of Left Front, Syed Muhammad Masih. In his constituency, Bhatar in Burdwan district, Sri- jit Konar is the new candidate.
Moreover, state committee members Muhammad Salim and Rabin Deb were also denied tickets. They have been asked by the party to devote more time to organisational work, especially organising meetings during the forthcoming elections.
Industry minister Nirupam Sen has been re- nominated from Burdwan ( South) and health minister Surya Kanta Mishra would contest from Narayangarh in West Midnapore. Earlier, both Sen and Mishra had requested to stay away from the elections on health grounds.
Trinamool Congress general secretary Partha Chatterjee said it was a moral victory for his party. “It is a moral victory for Trinamool Congress as the Left Front has changed candidates in 149 seats. But this will not help it to avoid defeat in the upcoming elections,” Chatterjee, who is also the leader of the Opposition, said.
He said it was only at the time of its “exit” that the Left Front remembered women and persons from the SC, ST and minority communities.
Polling in the six- phase elections in West Bengal will be held on April 18, 23, 27, and May 3, 7 and 10.
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