CPI-M, Congress tie-up essential for democracy: Somnath

Kolkata, Feb 24  Backing the proposed tie-up between the Left Front and Congress for West Bengal assembly polls, former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Wednesday said such an arrangement was essential for a united fight against 'attack on democracy' in the state.

"It is not about only two parties coming together. It is more of ensuring that people are able to cast their own votes and when all are united there will be a better chance of one being able to exercise his or her franchise," said Chatterjee, who is among the first to propose the idea of a grand alliance to take on the ruling Trinamool Congress. 

"Otherwise what is the point of having an election," he added. 

Meanwhile, a Congress delegation led by its Bnegal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met the full bench of Election Commission in New Delhi on the day seeking advance deployment of central security forces for the state assembly polls.

"We have demanded that central forces be deployed in the state much ahead of polls. We have also urged the Commission to conduct the elections in Bengal similar to the Bihar model," Chowdhury said.

The Congress leaders also raised the issue of law and order situation of the state before the Election Commission.