Overview
- Md Salim and Humayun Kabir held an hour-long meeting at a New Town hotel, which both described as exploratory with no alliance or seat-sharing finalised.
- The one-on-one drew objections within the CPI(M) over process and messaging, even as senior leaders reiterated that formal decisions rest with the Left Front.
- Humayun Kabir is pressing for an understanding with the CPI(M) and the Indian Secular Front by around February 15 and says he has engaged ISF’s Abbas Siddique.
- At a Murshidabad rally billed as a show of strength, Kabir apologised for his 2024 communal remarks, blamed the Chief Minister for prompting them, and said a Babri-style mosque project would begin on February 11.
- The Trinamool Congress mocked the CPI(M) over the outreach, portraying the party as desperate for pre-poll tie-ups.