Bengal bypolls: Congress to contest Raiganj and Bagda; back CPI-M in other 2 seats

Kolkata, June 16 (IANS) The West Bengal Congress announced on Saturday that it will contest two out of the four bypolls scheduled in West Bengal on July 10, and support the CPI(M) candidates in the remaining two seats.A senior state Congress leader said that the party has decided to field candidates in Raiganj in North Dinajpur district, and Bagda in North 24 Parganas district, while the CPI-M will contest the bypolls at Ranaghat Dakshin in Nadia district and Maniktala in Kolkata.Incidentally, on Friday night, the Left Front issued a statement announcing the names of the CPI-M candidates for Ranaghat Dakshin and Maniktala, and a nominee from the front ally All India Forward Bloc for Bagda.Now, the Congress’ decision to field its candidate from Bagda will mean that the Congress-Left Front alliance will not be taking shape in Bagda.“While the other allies in the Left Front have always been open about seat-sharing talks with us, Forward Bloc is the only ally that has gone against it. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Forward Bloc fielded its candidate against the Congress in Cooch Behar. So this time we have decided to field our candidate from Bagda as well,” the state Congress leader said.–IANSsrc/arm