Calcutta, April 14: The Left Front’s panchayat poll manifesto released today skips Nandigram and makes only a passing reference to industrialisation and land acquisition.

According to Left Front sources, the CPM had mentioned the Nandigram trouble in the draft manifesto, criticising the Opposition for instigating the violence. But in the final document released by front chairman Biman Bose, it was dropped, apparently under pressure from the partners.

Bose harped on “front unity” more than industrialisation. “Some of the amendments moved by the allies were accommodated while others will be dealt with in separate booklets,” he said.

On land acquisition, the manifesto accused the Opposition of “opposing even when land is needed for new roads or for expansion of public sector industries or national highways”, calling it a “betrayal of the state’s inte- rests”.

Denying the Opposition’s charge that the Left Front was “snatching” farmland for industry, it said: “The Opposition’s anti-acquisition politics is destructive, while our efforts are directed at development of agriculture, industrialisation and employment.”

Date jitters

Most of the aspiring Congress and Trinamul candidates in Nadia did not file nominations for the May panchayat polls till today scared that the “inauspicious” month of Chaitra would ruin their prospects.

Filing of nomination papers began on April 9 and will end on Wednesday.