Karat delegates poll responsibilities in absence of Biswas

Kolkata, Mar 20 (UNI) In an interim arrangement to keep the party on track before the coming Assembly elections in West Bengal, the CPI(M) today asked Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Left Front Committee Chairman Biman Bose to share the responsibilities of state Secretary Anil Biswas, undergoing treatment following a severe cerebral attack.

''We have decided that Mr Biman Bose and Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will be sharing some of the responsibilities Mr Biswas used to discharge,'' CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said after a meeting with the party's state secretariat.

He clarified that for the next few weeks the party's task would be election campaign and the duties divided among the two Polit bureau members were poll-related.

The meeting delegated the other responsibilities of Mr Biswas on the other secretariat members.

Mr Karat said even though Mr Biswas, the main force behind the CPI(M) in the state, was absent because of sudden illness, he was confident that the ruling Left Front would go in ''full swing'' for poll campaigning on the basis of its election manifesto.

Expressing concern for the health of Mr Biswas, who was admitted to a private nursing home on March 18, the CPI(M) General Secretary said his condition was still serious and doctors were working hard for his recovery.

The secretariat meeting, held for the second time over the past 24 hours, discussed the situation arising out of the sudden illness of Mr Biswas, before the coming assembly elections.

Besides Mr Karat, Mr Bose, Mr Bhattacharjee and Mr Sitaram Yechuri were among others present in the meeting.

Last night Mr Karat who air-dashed to the city last evening held a meeting with Mr Bose immediately on his arrival.

UNI KDG PL SC BST1800