Basu seeks Congress vote in favour of Left Front in Bengal

Seeking reciprocity to the Left support the Congress had once enjoyed at the Centre, CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu today made a fervent appeal to the Congress supporters to vote for the ruling Left Front in West Bengal in the byelections for ten Assembly seats to be held on November seven.

Alleging that the main opposition Trinamool Congress and the underground Maoists together were out to destroy democracy by carrying out violence, he said in a signed statement that it was time for all to save the state from this 'danger'.

''I would tell those who support the Congress that we extended unconditional support to the Congress against communalism which was in the interest of the country,'' the veteran leader said.

''Today, when the state is in danger, I specially request them to come forward and support the Left candidates to maintain peace, discipline and development,'' he said.

Forming a combined opposition against the Left Front, the Congress had been in an alliance with the Trinamool Congress in the state he stated.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-Trinamool combine almost swept through the polls winning 25 of the total 42 seats, while the SUCI, also in the opposition camp, secured one leaving only 15 for the Front.

The opposition, which had stormed the Left's rural citadel by claiming almost half of the gram panchayats last year, also pulled off unexpected results in a number of polls to local bodies after the Lok Sabha elections.

This set off speculations over the fate of the Front, ruling the state for 32 years, in the next Assembly elections to be held in 2011.

-- (UNI) -- 01CA32.xml

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