CPM allies wait and watch

With Mamata Banerjee recommending the name of expelled CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee as presidential candidate,the CPM allies have decided to wait and watch. After a meeting of four CPM allies today,senior leaders said they would wait till the UPA decides its candidate.

Forward Bloc leader Debabrata Biswas said,“We won’t reiterate our stand just now as the UPA has not gave its list of names for the presidential election. Let the UPA come to a consensus. We will meet again on June 21 and review our decision.”

RSP leader Kshiti Goswami said the CPM had become cautious after Mamata recommended Chatterjee’s name.

Some of the Left leaders felt that it was surprising to see that an ally of UPA (Trinamool) and the Samajwadi Party supporting Chatterjee. Biswas added that it was unethical for the Trinamool to announce the names without taking consent from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. In politics there are certain issues that should be dealt with privately,he added.