Nawshad Siddique, the lone MLA of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), has thrown a challenge to the Trinamool Congress leadership by saying that he wants to contest next year’s Lok Sabha polls from the Diamond Harbour constituency. The constituency has been represented by Trinamool’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee since 2014 and in 2019 he won the seat by a margin of 3.20 lakh votes. The ISF was set up before the 2021 Assembly polls in West Bengal by Peerzada (religious leader) Abbas Siddique from Furfura Sharif, a prominent religious shrine in Hooghly district, and Nawshad Siddique is his younger brother. Mr. Siddique, the only non-Trinamool and non-BJP MLA in the West Bengal Assembly, who represents the Bhangar Assembly seat, spoke to The Hindu about his party’s plan for the coming Lok Sabha polls. Excerpts:
There are 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, why do you want to contest from Diamond Harbour ?
In a democracy anyone can contest from any seat, so there is no reason for the Trinamool Congress leadership to feel uncomfortable if I am to contest from Diamond Harbour. Despite the claims of governance in Diamond Harbour, the region remains as one of the most economically backward parts of the State. There is a significant population of the minority community who have not accessed economic opportunities. The Trinamool Congress has projected the Diamond Harbour model as a model of governance. My decision to contest from the seat is to expose the Diamond Harbour model of governance.
After your decision to contest, Abhishek Banerjee held a rally and said even leaders from Gujarat can contest from Diamond Harbour but they should not disturb peace of the area.
Yes, but contrary to the confidence which Trinamool leaders are displaying at the public rallies our party supporters are being targeted at Diamond Harbour. The houses of our supporters have been attacked after the announcement. I want to ask: Is this the Diamond Harbour model where people cannot come out and express their political preferences? Even during the panchayat elections our supporters were targeted. Is there no democracy at the grass root level in West Bengal? Our fight is to restore democracy at the grass root level and that is the reason behind contesting from Diamond Harbour.
What are the plans for the ISF for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls?
The Lok Sabha polls are an opportunity for the ISF to expand the party’s footprint in West Bengal. We want to put candidates in seats in both north Bengal and south Bengal who will pose a challenge to both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP candidates. The ISF does not want to field candidates who will lose their deposits. We may not field candidates in all seats but will put candidates in most of the seats. Our politics is against the BJP and the Trinamool Congress. We are opposed to both the Gujarat model of development and the Diamond Harbour model of development.
ISF had contested the 2021 Assembly polls in alliance with the Left Front and the Congress. Both the parties are part of INDIA alliance now, along with the Trinamool Congress. Will you field candidates against the Opposition alliance?
We are fighting against the Trinamool Congress and will not be part of any alliance where the West Bengal ruling party is associated with. If the Left parties and the Congress join the INDIA alliance with Trinamool we will put candidates against the INDIA alliance also. I am not ruling out any understanding with the Congress and the Left parties but if they go with Trinamool, then we will have to maintain a distance with them in the Lok Sabha polls.
