Kolkata, March 12 (IANS) The CPI-M-led Left Front, while it is yet to finalise its tie up with the Congress, on Saturday extended support to the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in the West Bengal assembly polls.
While the state's ruling Trinamool Congress flayed the Left for supporting a party aligned to the Bharatiya Janata Party, the GJM which holds sway in the Darjeeling hills of north Bengal refrained from commenting.
"With a view to defeat the Trinamool Congress in the three seats of Darjeeling , Kurseong and Kalimpong, we have decided to extend support to the regional party which has the sway in the region," said Communist Party of India-Marxist Darjeeling secretary Jibesh Sarkar said.
He said the Front has decided not to field any candidates in three constituencies to prevent anti-Trinamool vote from getting divided.
"We haven't discussed the issue within the party as of now. So we cannot comment on this," said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri.
Trinamool, which has been ridiculing both the Left and the Congress over their tie-up, hit out at the Marxists.
"This indicates the political bankruptcy of the CPI-M and the Left that they are now eager to support a party which is an ally of the BJP," said North Bengal Development Minister Gautam Deb.
The GJM won the Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong seats in the 2011 assembly polls.
