‘A united Left Front is a must’

Biman Bose, CPI(M)’s state secretary and Left Front chairman, spoke to DNA on the violence.

Excerpts:
What steps are you taking to ensure peaceful polls in the third phase on Sunday?
I have spoken to senior leaders of almost all Left Front allies like Forward Bloc’s state secretary Ashoke Ghosh and CPI leader Manu Majumdar. We have unanimously decided that supporters of none of the allies will fall prey to any provocation that might lead to the repetition of Wednesday’s incident.

Do you think the Basanti incident will be a threat to Left Front unity?
The Left Front was formed following several movements and not merely on the basis of a seat sharing agreement. Although the seat sharing issue is important, it is not every thing. A united Left Front is a political requirement and because of that it will prevail.

But haven’t these panchayat polls threatened the unity like never before.
This is not true. If you examine previous panchayat polls, you will see that none of these polls reflected a unanimous Left Front as regards to seat sharing or contesting against each other. Earlier, earlier such differences had cropped up in adjacent Goshaba.

Some CPI(M) leaders in Basanti have alleged Gauri Nashkar died when bombs stocked at her residence by RSP supporters exploded.
I will not make any comment until the investigations are over. All I can say that it sounds quite unconceivable that bombs were hurled at her residence.