Consensus A General for Rajya Sabha Thwarting ISI Steps by Bengal govt to check the ISI Then & Now Village planning under Left Regime Human Rights WBHRC is happy with State Govt performance

The Left Front in West Bengal will support the candidature of Gen (Rtd) Shankar Roy Chowdhury in the Rajya Sabha elections from the state to be held in July. The General had said that he was willing to contest, but only if he had the support of all parties, at least those who have enough clout to see him through to Parliament. The Front has named the former Army chief as a consensus candidate and the Congress has also made it clear that the military man is a good choice. Gen Roy Chowdhury is thus assured of a berth in the Upper House and with the war most obviously happening if not in name, then his views in Parliament would be of worthy use. There could not have been a better choice on consensus in the times of war. Of the other candidates of the Front, Jibon Roy and Chandrakala Pande are incumbents while Sarala Maheswari reenters Parliament. Dr Ashoke Mitra has dropped out himself while Ramnarayan Goswami has not been considered this time as he has completed two terms in Rajya Sabha. The RSP candidate Abani Roy is the other Front candidate apart from the General.

The Congress, after unsuccessfully trying to rope in the General, has accepted him as a consensus candidate with Mr Pranab Mukherjee yet again being the sole official candidate of the party. There are six seats for which elections are being held in July.