State Congress President Adhir Chowdhury on Wednesday said that they were ready to support Sitaram Yechury's candidature for Rajya Sabha from Bengal if the CPI(M) pitched him from here in the election on March 23.
"I believe in political pragmatism. Given the experience of Sitaram Yechury, we wanted to re-elect him to the upper house, but the Central leadership of his own party has objected to it. If he is re-nominated, this time we will extend all our support. We had never had any inhibition in saying that we had formed an electoral alliance with the CPI(M) in 2016, but their Central leadership has not approved of carrying it ahead and has decided to pull out of it," Chowhury said, addressing a press conference on Wednesday.
He also said that if not Yechury, then there could be an independent candidate who could be supported by both the Congress and the CPI(M). "After the tie-up was broken by the CPI(M), we have noticed a steady rise of the BJP in the state. Which is why, I believe that an electoral alliance is inevitable to stop the growing communal force in Bengal. So I think, both the Congress and CPI(M) should settle for an independent candidate. If both the Congress and CPI(M) come to a consensus over a candidate, it will send a positive message," he said.
He also said that he was ready for an informal discussion with the CPI(M) on this issue, if it was required. "This, we are ready to do for the sake of welfare of the state and I believe all of us should come out of petty politics in this regard," Chowdhury said.
Later, he chaired a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) at the state Assembly. "It was decided that a list of probable names of independent candidates for the Rajya Sabha would be sent to All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi for him to decide on it," said a Congress MLA, who was present at the meeting. He also said that it was decided that the party would not take any support from the TMC.
Of the five Rajya Sabha candidates to be elected from Bengal next month, TMC will already have four of theirs and the fifth one is yet to be decided.
