PDS won't go with `friendly' Cong, declares candidates

PDS won't go with `friendly' Cong, declares candidates
SANTANU BANERJEE

KOLKATA, MARCH 26: The talks are over and with it, have gone the chances of a possible alliance between the Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the Congress for the coming West Bengal Assembly polls. Thanks to ``hard political realities'', the two parties, though ``friends'' still, won't negotiate for a mutual seat adjustment formula any more.

Explaining the situation under which the negotiations ended, PDS presidentSaifuddin Choudhury said that his party cannot accept the Trinamool Congress as an ally. ``The PDS cannot carry on talks with the Congress which is willing for a tie-up with the former,'' he said.

Bengal Congress leaders, however, have given hints that in case their talks with the Trinamool Congress ``fails'', the party might opt for an alliance with the PDS. Talking to reporters at the PCC office, Pradeep Bhattacharya felt that though talks couldn't be carried out with the PDS any further at this stage ``in view of our talks with the Trinamool Congress'', they would remain friends since both were anti-CPI(M) forces.

Incidentally, Bhattacharya told The Indian Express that though talks with the Trinamool Congress have began at the highest level, ``some bottlenecks are yet to be removed''. The statement assumes importance following AICC leader Kamal Nath's closed-door meeting with Mamata Banerjee late yesterday night.

Saifuddin Choudhury echoed Bhattacharya's words when he said that both the PDS and the Congress agreed to end alliance talks for compelling political reasons, but there would be no hurt feelings between the two anti-Left Front parties during the poll campaigning.

The PDS, which has announced a list of 60 candidates, admitted that the last minute withdrawal of the Congress had forced the party to make some changes in the list.

Saifuddin Choudhury, who will be contesting the Assembly election from Nadanghat in Burdwan District, said: ``The main target during our election campaign would be the communal and anti-democratic forces in the state.''

Incidentally, Saifuddin Choudhury, who heads a major breakway group from the CPI(M), has floated an alternative democratic secular front of 12 parties, including the Congress Nationalist Party.

The party has also decided to field the CPI(M)'s former South 24-Paraganas strong man Samir Putatunda from the prestigious Jadavpur Assembly seat where he will take on West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Trinamool Congress candidate former actress Madhabi Chakraborty.ØPutatunda knows his star opponents -- particularly, his former party colleague -- to well. ``Both of us (he and Buddhadeb) have many things in common. On several issues, Buddhadeb shares my views on party and its problems. But while he cannot practice what he thinks correct, I do,'' he told the media.