May 17: The Left Front’s bitter turf war, which led to bloodshed in the second phase of the panchayat polls, could scar Cooch Behar too.

The district has seen conflicts between the CPM and partner Forward Bloc intensify in recent months. Looming over the polls is the February 5 firing by police in Dinhata that killed five Bloc supporters. That wound has not healed.

“How can we forget Dinhata? How can we forget the death of our comrades?” asked Bloc district secretary Udayan Guha.

The Bloc holds the “CPM-run government” responsible for the Dinhata killings. “If the CPM has not learnt a lesson from Basanti, then similar incidents may happen here,” Guha warned.

The blame game is being played by the CPM as well. “The Forward Bloc has made no effort to forge unity,” said CPM district secretary Chandi Pal. “So, the blame should not land on our plate.”

Like most parts of the state, in Cooch Behar, too, the CPM and its partners have failed to reach an understanding over sharing of seats.

In 2003, the CPM had won 150 gram panchayats and 27 panchayat samitis in Cooch Behar uncontested. The Opposition had said its candidates were not allowed to file nominations. But this time, there are contests in all seats. The buzz is that the Bloc has ensured the CPM faces a fight in every seat.

The Left parties also have the Greater Cooch Behar movement to contend with. The Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party, with its statehood demand, may grab some seats that would otherwise have gone to the Left.