Kolkata, Jan 1 (PTI) Amidst talk of an alliance between the Marxists and the Congress in the ensuing Assembly election in West Bengal, the CPI-M and the Left Front seemed to be divided on the electoral tactical line in Bengal.

A section of the state Congress leadership was advocating a tie-up with the Left to defeat Trinamool Congress and it has gained momentum after the grand alliance in Bihar was able to defeat the BJP led NDA.

Although senior state Congress leaders, including state Congress President Adhir Chowdhury, had spoken in favour of alliance in West Bengal, the CPI(M) leadership is yet to take a call on this matter.

According to the CPI-M leadership, the party is presently in a catch 22 situation. "If the party goes for an alliance with the Congress in Bengal, it will impact party's propsects in Kerala, where Congress is the main opposition of CPI-M and that state will also go to polls along with Bengal in a few months time," a senior CPIM leader told PTI here.

"To oust the TMC the people of the state want us to forge an alliance with secular and democratic forces which include Congress. So whenever the party leadership takes a call on this matter they should keep in mind the opinion and views of the masses," he said.

CPI-M leaders from Kerala, however, countered the speculation of forging alliance with the Congress in Bengal, saying it would be a contradiction of the official party line adopted in the last party Congress which called for keeping both Congress and BJP at bay.

"We have adopted a official political line in last party congress. So the electoral tactical line of the respective states can't be contradictory to the official line. Whatever electoral tactical line we adopt in Kerala or West Bengal, should not be contradictory or harmful to each other," senior CPI(M) leader from Kerala and politburo member M A Baby, who was here in connection with the just concluded plenum of the CPI-M told PTI.

Baby's views were echoed by a section of other CPI(M) leaders from Kerala, who were here to attend the Plenum.

"The CPI-M is a national and not a regional party and it has to stick to the line adopted at the party Congress. The party can't have two political tactical lines for two states.

The CPI(M) can't allign with Congress," a senior CPI(M) leader from Kerala said on condition of annonymity. .