West Bengal CPI(M) State Secretary Mohammad Salim to Contest Murshidabad LS Seat with Congress Support

Earlier, the CPI(M) politburo member had won from Raiganj in North Dinajpur of North Bengal in 2014 but lost to Debarshree Roy Chowdhury of BJP at the same seat five years later.

The CPI(M) veteran, who joined ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' of Congress scion Rahul Gandhi in Murshidabad, has been found busy with party meetings and rallies in the district almost recently, triggering speculation about his contest.

Berhampore MP and state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "Mr Salim may contest from Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency. But our seat-sharing formula is yet to be finalized."

However, Mr Salim said, "Such issues are not decided at an open road or meeting. We are in talks with the Congress for seat-sharing. Nothing has been finalized so far.”

Party insiders indicated that Congress plans to field it's candidates at Berhampore and Jangipur seats while leaving the Murshidabad seat to CPI(M) since it had a stronghold there from 1977 to 2004.

The party regained it in 2014 but lost it in 2019. Present Murshidabad TMC MP Abu Taher Khan however sounded confident of his party's victory in all the three seats in Murshidabad.