Kolkata, West Bengal: As the West Bengal Assembly elections approach, tensions are rising within the Left Front over seat-sharing negotiations with the Indian Secular Front (ISF), led by Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui of Furfura Sharif. The ISF’s demand for 45 assembly seats has sparked a dispute, particularly with the Forward Bloc, which claims several of these are its traditional constituencies. The Forward Bloc has issued a stern warning that it may exit the alliance if its own allotted seats are compromised.
The ISF, despite winning just one seat in the last assembly elections and capturing only 1.35% of votes, has steadily expanded its influence. Furfura Sharif, located 40 km from Kolkata, is a major center of faith for millions of Bengali Muslims and exerts direct influence over over 2,500 mosques and 80 assembly constituencies. The ISF made a strong comeback in the 2023 panchayat elections, winning 325 gram panchayat seats, 10 panchayat samiti seats, and 1 zilla parishad seat in Muslim-majority areas.
Negotiations have stalled because the CPM claims 180–200 of the 294 Left Front seats, while other Left parties including Forward Bloc, RSP, and CPI have their own demands of 15–20 seats each. Under this arrangement, ISF would be allotted only 30–35 seats, short of its desired 45, fueling Forward Bloc’s objections—especially in North 24 Parganas, where the ISF has staked claims.
Forward Bloc has made it clear that while ISF can receive seats from CPM’s share, any attempt to take seats from Forward Bloc’s allocation could prompt the party to leave the alliance. CPM leaders, however, maintain that ISF’s inclusion is crucial to consolidate Muslim and Dalit vote combinations. Talks between all factions are ongoing, with hopes of resolution within the week.
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