LF should have been more patient, says miffed Bengal Congress chief

Soon after the Left Front announced its partial list of candidates, the Congress's state chief appeared miffed over the combine finalising its nominees in some of the districts, saying it should have waited for some time as discussions on an electoral understanding were on.

"What can I say? They are an independent combine. They have to publish their candidates, and they have done it. What should I say? We too will come out with own candidate list," said an agitated state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

He y particularly took exception to the LF announcing its candidates in three of the 22 seats of Murshidabad, which is regarded as his base.

"Talks are on about seat sharing. We have been holding discussions with them for long. Now today they have announced a list.

"They were scheduled to sit for discussions on Murshidabad. But they didn't have the patience and announced three candidates from the districts. In some other districts also they have announced, which they shouldn't have done. There could have been more discussions," said Chowdhury.

He also appeared annoyed over LF chairman Biman Bose's comments that the LF and the Congress would not share any campaign platform.

"Whatever we do, we do it open heartedly. We said there is need for a political understanding between us to stand against the anarchy and the terror unleashed by the Trinamool Congress. They (Left Front) have interpreted that in their own way. They have lot of restrictions.

"We too don't want the opposition's votes to get divided, we want to defeat the Trinamool and save Bengal," said Chowdhury.

The LF on the day announced candidates for 116 of the 294 assembly seats in the eastern state, which is slated to got to the hustings in seven phases between April 4 and May 5.