Kolkata: Indian Secular Front (ISF) president Naushad Siddiqui, a political friend turned ally of the Left and Congress in West Bengal, says RSS and TMC agents have infiltrated among his former allies, leading to The alliance failed and became weak. Effective resistance to the combined dominance of TMC-BJP on the political scene of the state.
Siddiqui, the only non-BJP opposition MLA in the Bengal Assembly, won Bhangar constituency, a political hotspot with a persistent history of violence, as part of the Left-Congress-ISF joint front in the 2021 state elections. Election. Both the Left and Congress did not get any account in that election.
Ironically, the alliance broke down ahead of the 2024 general elections and the ISF has now decided to field its candidates on 4 out of 17 seats, where the party is simultaneously fighting the state's ruling government and its party, besides the Left and the Congress. Has been.Key challengers. Political observers believe that by the end of the elections, the ISF may emerge as the state's leading 'vote katua', a term colloquially used for parties whose votes cannot ensure their victory. But the electoral balance may tilt in his favour. One of the two main competitors.
In Bengal, where many election experts believe that the tussle between BJP and TMC could end with a photo finish in terms of number of seats, the role of ISF could be crucial.
“We have not entered the election field thinking about who will benefit or suffer from your participation in the elections. We are fighting to win on all 17 seats and this can happen only if we can convince the voters about alternative politics Otherwise, we will not win a single seat,” Siddiqui said in an interview."But looking back, it seems that there is no interference here by RSS and TMC ideological elements within CPI-M and Congress, who did not want our alliance to continue because both BJP and TMC are trying to grow the united front. Were concerned about strength,'' he added.
Siddiqui revealed that during seat adjustment talks with the Left parties, IS had initially asked for 14 seats and later reduced it to just seven.
He said, "But since they did not go beyond three-four seats, we found that attitude insulting and a blow to our self-respect. We never broke the alliance, I really tried till the end to maintain it." He further said, “With the Left being with us, it would have been easier to oppose BJP and Trinamool.The work has now become more laborious." Siddiqui's personal infamy was, perhaps, caused by the ISF's refusal to nominate him from the Diamond Harbor seat, after the party president publicly accused TMC's alleged commander-in-chief of the constituency. -Announced his intention to take on Chief Abhishek Banerjee, and instead entrusted him with the responsibility of leading the campaign for his candidates.
Siddiqui confessed, "On a personal level, the party's decision hurt me deeply, because it would have allowed me to directly challenge the center of corruption in the state and expose how they silenced the people."
The leader said, “But our party follows democracy.The majority wanted that I should not be limited to just one seat and should play a bigger role in these elections. I had to abide by that decision because I am not above my party." Asked whether this made him an "escapist" in the eyes of the opposition, Siddiqui said he made the comment to his "Leftist friends" elsewhere. Getting more than.
“May I remind them that when I faced post-poll violence, was barred from entering Bhangar for six months and was jailed for 42 days, no one from the Left or the Congress The friend did not support me. I was also offered money and government posts. I declined.I am not one to run away or back down,” Siddiqui declared.
Speaking about ISF's brand of politics, Siddiqui called it "Politics o Partnership", where the party advocates the sharing of power in power in direct proportion to the population strength of Muslims, Dalits and other backward communities. Almost all parties Use these groups as vote banks and do not give them proper representation in positions of power and authority in the state and centre. We want to change the unbalanced idea of politics in this country where people are not under one master. Rather, they are equal partners in democracy,” he said.But despite that view, whether the ISF is not largely seen as a party of Muslims, Siddiqui did not agree.
He said, “In the last three years, attempts have been made to label us as ‘fundamentalists’, ‘puppet of BJP’ and ‘party of Muslims’. But perceptions are changing among people based on our performance inside and outside the Assembly, while some people now see us as the only ray of hope for the oppressed underprivileged, others may be in a wait-and-see situation. , but the founder of our party never wanted it to become a party for Muslims." Is the divorce between ISF and Left-Congress permanent or is there a possibility of reconciliation in future?
“The Left is in a better position to answer this question,” Siddiqui said. Personally I feel that we have parted ways as friends at the moment but our enmity has not started yet.The leader confirmed that the ISF is ready to consider it if the Left and Congress renew their unity proposal. He said, “Our fight against BJP and TMC is ideological. Our doors are open to all those non-TMC-non BJP is open to forces who are willing to fight the good fight."
Siddiqui, the only non-BJP opposition MLA in the Bengal Assembly, won Bhangar constituency, a political hotspot with a persistent history of violence, as part of the Left-Congress-ISF joint front in the 2021 state elections. Election. Both the Left and Congress did not get any account in that election.
Ironically, the alliance broke down ahead of the 2024 general elections and the ISF has now decided to field its candidates on 4 out of 17 seats, where the party is simultaneously fighting the state's ruling government and its party, besides the Left and the Congress. Has been.Key challengers. Political observers believe that by the end of the elections, the ISF may emerge as the state's leading 'vote katua', a term colloquially used for parties whose votes cannot ensure their victory. But the electoral balance may tilt in his favour. One of the two main competitors.
In Bengal, where many election experts believe that the tussle between BJP and TMC could end with a photo finish in terms of number of seats, the role of ISF could be crucial.
“We have not entered the election field thinking about who will benefit or suffer from your participation in the elections. We are fighting to win on all 17 seats and this can happen only if we can convince the voters about alternative politics Otherwise, we will not win a single seat,” Siddiqui said in an interview."But looking back, it seems that there is no interference here by RSS and TMC ideological elements within CPI-M and Congress, who did not want our alliance to continue because both BJP and TMC are trying to grow the united front. Were concerned about strength,'' he added.
Siddiqui revealed that during seat adjustment talks with the Left parties, IS had initially asked for 14 seats and later reduced it to just seven.
He said, "But since they did not go beyond three-four seats, we found that attitude insulting and a blow to our self-respect. We never broke the alliance, I really tried till the end to maintain it." He further said, “With the Left being with us, it would have been easier to oppose BJP and Trinamool.The work has now become more laborious." Siddiqui's personal infamy was, perhaps, caused by the ISF's refusal to nominate him from the Diamond Harbor seat, after the party president publicly accused TMC's alleged commander-in-chief of the constituency. -Announced his intention to take on Chief Abhishek Banerjee, and instead entrusted him with the responsibility of leading the campaign for his candidates.
Siddiqui confessed, "On a personal level, the party's decision hurt me deeply, because it would have allowed me to directly challenge the center of corruption in the state and expose how they silenced the people."
The leader said, “But our party follows democracy.The majority wanted that I should not be limited to just one seat and should play a bigger role in these elections. I had to abide by that decision because I am not above my party." Asked whether this made him an "escapist" in the eyes of the opposition, Siddiqui said he made the comment to his "Leftist friends" elsewhere. Getting more than.
“May I remind them that when I faced post-poll violence, was barred from entering Bhangar for six months and was jailed for 42 days, no one from the Left or the Congress The friend did not support me. I was also offered money and government posts. I declined.I am not one to run away or back down,” Siddiqui declared.
Speaking about ISF's brand of politics, Siddiqui called it "Politics o Partnership", where the party advocates the sharing of power in power in direct proportion to the population strength of Muslims, Dalits and other backward communities. Almost all parties Use these groups as vote banks and do not give them proper representation in positions of power and authority in the state and centre. We want to change the unbalanced idea of politics in this country where people are not under one master. Rather, they are equal partners in democracy,” he said.But despite that view, whether the ISF is not largely seen as a party of Muslims, Siddiqui did not agree.
He said, “In the last three years, attempts have been made to label us as ‘fundamentalists’, ‘puppet of BJP’ and ‘party of Muslims’. But perceptions are changing among people based on our performance inside and outside the Assembly, while some people now see us as the only ray of hope for the oppressed underprivileged, others may be in a wait-and-see situation. , but the founder of our party never wanted it to become a party for Muslims." Is the divorce between ISF and Left-Congress permanent or is there a possibility of reconciliation in future?
“The Left is in a better position to answer this question,” Siddiqui said. Personally I feel that we have parted ways as friends at the moment but our enmity has not started yet.The leader confirmed that the ISF is ready to consider it if the Left and Congress renew their unity proposal. He said, “Our fight against BJP and TMC is ideological. Our doors are open to all those non-TMC-non BJP is open to forces who are willing to fight the good fight."
