In a tit-for-tat, the Congress has fielded candidates against SUCI in Kultali and Joynagar.
The SUCI had earlier announced that it would field candidates in 29 seats against the Congress. The SUCI is a Trinamul Congress ally which is contesting two seats while the Congress which is another ally is contesting 65 seats. The two may be Mamata Banerjee’s allies, but the SUCI, however, considers the Congress an opponent.
“It is the SUCI which started this. They have fielded candidates against 31 Congress candidates while we have fielded in only two seats. If the SUCI withdraws its candidates against us then the Congress will also withdraw its candidates from Kultali and Joynagar,” AICC general secretary and incharge of Bengal, Shakil Ahmed said.
The SUCI ruled out such a possibility. “The question does not arise. We will win Kultali and Joynagar by defeating both the Left Front and Congress,” SUCI leader Provas Ghosh said.
Former Congress MP Manoranjan Haldar is likely to contest from Joynagar while Sujit Patwari would contest from Kultali seat.
Congress spokesperson Om Prakash Mishra said his party made several appeals to the SUCI to withdraw its candidates.
“We waited till the last date of withdrawal of nomination on April 4 for the first phase of polling,” he added.
The SUCI had fielded candidates against the Congress in nine seats in the last Lok Sabha election although both parties were in alliance with the Trinamul Congress.
The Congress had however exercised restraint and not fielded candidate in Joynagar parliamentary seat. “This time they crossed all limits and fielded candidates even in Sabang against the state Congress president Manas Bhunia and Nalhati against Pranab Mukherjee’s son, Abhjijit Mukherjee,” a Congress MP said. The Trinamul Congress chief is upset with the Congress’ move and announced that her party would back SUCI candidates in Joynagar and Kultali.