Assembly polls: CPM, Congress plan joint rally in West Bengal

KOLKATA: In order to strengthen their alliance and spread the message across the state that they are serious about contesting this Assembly election jointly , CPM politburo member and state party secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra and Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have decided to hold a joint campaign rally at Mishra's Assembly constituency of Narayangarh in West Midnapore district on April 9.

The first joint rally of the chiefs of two parties will take place just two days before the second round of polls in Bengal. Narayangarh too will go for polls on April 11.

Earlier, Mishra had campaigned for senior Congress leader and for mer state Congress president Manas Bhunia at his Assembly constituency of Sabong in West Midnapore district.

Chowdhury, while speaking to ET on Tuesday, said that they were ready to join the coalition government along with the Left parties in voted to power.

Mishra, on the other hand, did not reply categorically whether they will form a coalition government or support it from outside. “Hope you remember United Front government of 1967.

CPM and Left parties had formed the government which did not last long. But later, in 1977 the Left Front government came to power with a huge majority. So, joining a coalition government in Bengal is not at all a new proposition,“ Mishra in response to questions by reporters at Kolkata Press Club during the day.