CPI-M rules out advancing West Bengal assembly polls

Kolkata, Nov 12

West Bengal's ruling Left Front major Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Thursday ruled out advancing the state assembly polls slated for 2011 in the wake of the combine suffering a string of electoral defeats.

"The election will take place as scheduled. It will not be preponed," Industries Minister Nirupam Sen told reporters.

Sen's comments came a day after the Left Front's dismal show in by-polls to ten assembly seats, where it managed to win only one, with the CPI-M drawing a blank despite being in the fray in five constituencies.

The LF's poor performance triggered a call from its partner, West Bengal Socialist Party leader and Fisheries Minister Kirnamoy Nanda for advancing the state elections.

Nanda's comments were a virtual echo of the LF's bete noire and Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee, who has been persistently clamouring for the resignation of the Buddhadeb Bahttacharjee ministry and early asembly elections under president's rule in the state.

Emerging from a three-hour meeting of the party's state secretariat, Sen said there would also be no change in leadership in the government, and thereby scotched speculation that Bhattacharjee could quit.

"We made some changes in the state ministry sometime back.. There will be no further changes," he said.

He also said there was no possibility of any change in the CPI-M's state leadership.

"In our party, change in leadership does not happen like this. We go by some organisational process. The present leadership has been elected through this process. So, there cannot be any change now," he added.

Last updated on Nov 12^th, 2009 at 22:43 pm IST--IANS

Possibly related news:

Other News Headlines

Sri Lankan parliament dissolved

Colombo, Feb 9

Parliament in Sri Lanka has been dissolved with effect from midnight Tuesday ahead of new elections, officials said.

Hostel warden arrested for sexually exploiting inmates

Shimla, Feb 9

A hostel warden was arrested Tuesday in Himachal Pradesh on charges of sexually exploiting nine poor tribal girls for more than a year, the police said.

No good or bad Taliban, says Iran

New Delhi, Feb 9

Airing its unease over the proposed reintegration of Taliban in Afghanistan, Iran Tuesday rejected any distinction between good Taliban and bad Taliban, and sought closer cooperation with India in stabilising the violence-torn country.

Genetic engineering panel should be more transparent: Ramesh

New Delhi, Feb 9

Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said the working of the government-appointed committee on genetic engineering needs to be changed, and it should conduct itself in a more transparent manner.

Sena mobs attack theatres ahead of 'My Name Is Khan' release (Lead)

Mumbai, Feb 9

Shiv Sena activists Tuesday went on a rampage and attacked several cinema halls that will screen Shah Rukh Khan's "My Name Is Khan" despite the Mumbai Police assuring full security at the 63 cinemas and multiplexes that will showcase the movie.

Enter Your Name and Email below and Post your comment
Name	Email:
Comment:

Please login to use this service
Usermame :
Password :
Quick signup \| Forgot Password