Even as serious resentment running strong in the Congress CPM alliance and ally Congress expressing its frustration at the way they were treated by the CPM in seat sharing– with an adding pressure from its own local level party leaders , the , CPM state unit secretary Jitendra Choudhury made it clear that there would be no change in the seat sharing or candidate list. In fact on Friday itself the as many 38 CPM candidates field their nominations across the state. The rest would soon submit their papers to the concerned officials within two days.
The statement from the CPM state unit secretary that there would be no change in the seat adjustment/ sharing came as rude shock for the Congress which was still trying to influence the CPM to leave some more seats for it—for the sake of alliance. Congress already gave list of the seats that they wanted to fight. But now as things stood Congress would have remain satisfied with 13 seats only—or they would have to go for drastic step—fielding their own candidates making the alliance null and void. Congress was facing a serious Catch 22 as it was not at all in a position to make much of difference except in two or three seats if they went alone, on the other hand it was also hard to swallow the humiliation with only 13 seats as the party workers were raising questions or simply leaving the good ol’ part for good.
Choudhury’s statement came at a time when the CPM for the first time witnessing an open revolt over election nominations and also for alliance.
There were reports from Kumarghat, Pabiacherra and other parts of the state where several CPM local level leaders and cadres were leaving the party to join BJP. Incumbent party MLA Mobasswar Ali from Kailasahar being top in the list. The desertion from Congress was also going on but the way CPM cadres were leaving was something that worried the party- which was all along considered as a highly disciplined one.
Notwithstanding the internal pressure and discomfiture the CPM in its own style maintained a red display as its candidates went to submit their nomination papers to fight it out in the ensuing assembly polls. Hundreds of party workers and supporters took the candidates to the SDM office where they filed their papers.
