Indian Secular Front's Siddiqui demands Nandigram Seat from Left-Congress for WB polls

Indian Secular Front (ISF) founder and Furfura Sharif cleric Abbas Siddiqui on Friday announced that the party has demanded seat-sharing with the Left Front in poll-bound West Bengal, specifically eyeing the Nandigram seat. 

Siddiqui said, "Spoken with Left regarding seat sharing. We've got 30 seats as per our choice & are in talks regarding 3-4 more. With Congress, seat-sharing standstill not clear..talks still on...We'd demanded 70-80 seats, we want Nandigram seat."

Siddiqui launches new political party ISF 

Last month, Siddiqui had announced the launch of ISF at a press conference in Kolkata. He had said that he was open to allying with any party except BJP as he thought they were dangerous. Stating that the party will contest on all 294 seats as part of a front, he had said 'Democracy, Secularism & Justice' were the foundation of the party. He was quoted saying, "The party's main objective would be to stand and fight for the lost Democracy, Secularism & Justice in the state, to fight for economic freedom & equality. We will contest election as a front, as of now I will say on all 294 seats. We will, later on, see about an alliance. I haven't thought about it now." "I have kept my option open of joining a front with any party except BJP. It's not my job to work for the survival or interest of TMC & Mamata Banerjee. To stop BJP all parties must unite. Whether I will join hands with Tmc or not is hypothetical, but it is up to them to initiate. I think BJP is dangerous for the nation. We will not ally with them.  I don't want to be king, I want to be the king-maker," Siddiqui had added. 

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West Bengal Assembly elections 

The West Bengal Assembly with 294 seats will also go to polls in April-May 2021. CM Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress holds 222 seats at present. However, BJP has made major inroads in the state in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats out of 42 and establishing itself as the major opposition force in the state. The BJP is using its booth-level strategy and has regularly dispatched its top leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda in the state for winning the upcoming elections, with the Prime Minister also addressing mega-rallies there in recent weeks. The party has also been inducting a number of major TMC leaders on a regular basis and plans to hold at least 1500 rallies and assorted road-shows in total. 

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