Calcutta uplift on party lips

Calcutta, Jan. 16: The CPM is undecided on whom to pit against Mamata Banerjee in the Calcutta South Lok Sabha seat after delimitation has altered constituency profiles across the city. The recast has brought the number of seats in Calcutta down to two — North and South — and the party realises the changes would make the poll due this summer different and possibly difficult. So the CPM stressed on “development” as an election issue today. Its campaign in the city will start with a march from Chiria More in the north to Tollygunge Metro on Sunday and will highlight demands for funds for a slew of projects and a central plan for the uplift of minorities . The contest for minority votes has become crucial because of Mamata’s efforts to woo them since Muslim-domina-ted central Calcutta and the port area have become part of her constituency. The CPM is also demanding the expansion of the Metro up to Behala, to woo Behala East and West voters who are now part of Calcutta South. The party’s dilemma is whether to try Rabin Deb, who had narrowed Mamata’s victory margin from 2.14 lakh in 1999 to 98,000 in 2004, again or test a celebrity not directly linked with the party. “There are many possibilities. Our candidate in Calcutta South may not be from our party. But he has to be able to fight and win,’’ district secretary Raghunath Kushari said. The CPM MP from Calcutta North East and the party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sa- bha, Mohammad Salim, has to be shifted as his constituency has ceased to exist. If he is fielded in the north, Sudhanshu Sil, who represents Calcutta North West now, has to be dropped, sources said.