Amid cross-currents,smaller fish to form their own third front

Bengal is expected to see its own form of the third front,with smaller parties forming an alliance against the ruling CPM and the Congress-Trinamool alliance.

Bengal is expected to see its own form of the third front,with smaller parties forming an alliance against the ruling CPM and the Congress-Trinamool alliance. Parties like Samajwadi Party and Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS) are bringing small parties together to form an alliance for the Lok Sabha polls. Most of these parties had earlier been with Mamata Banerjee during protests in Nandigram and Singur but developed distance after being denied the seats.

Many parties which were with Banerjee have left her after she forged an alliance with the Congress ignoring her friends in Singur and Nandigram.

We wanted to form a political platform of our own, PDS leader and former

CPM South 24 Parganas district secretary Samir Putatunda told The Indian Express on Monday.

He said: We are not against Banerjee but we wanted to nominate our leader Saifuddin Chowdhury,former CPM central committee member in Jadavpur,from Jadavpur seat. But Trinamool has given the ticket to Kabir Suman,which will ensure easy victory for the CPM.

Banerjee also refused a ticket to SP leader Vijay Upadhaya,who had undergone a 26-day hunger strike with her in Kolkata protesting against land acquisition in Singur. This is high time smaller secular parties in West Bengal think about a common platform against the CPM and Trinamool, Putatunda added.

The leaders also clarified that the alliance is limited to Bengal and they are not thinking to forge an alternative front like the Third Front. We have no national plan. Our talks are on with smaller parties and soon we will make a formal announcement, said Upadhyay.

Story continues below this ad

Both these parties have already reached a consensus and are jointly contesting a few LS seats in West Bengal.

Saifuddin Chowdhury of the PDS is contesting the Jadavpur seat with support from SP,while Upadhaya is fighting the Howrah seat with support from the former.

Ravik Bhattacharya

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas. Experience & Authority Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata. Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects. Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010. Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting. Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Amid cross-currents,smaller fish to form their own third front

Bengal is expected to see its own form of the third front,with smaller parties forming an alliance against the ruling CPM and the Congress-Trinamool alliance.

Amid cross-currents,smaller fish to form their own third front