Sunday, March 26 2006 12:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Barely two years after recording its best-ever performance in the Lok Sabha polls, CPI(M) is faced with different kinds of crisis in both West Bengal and Kerala, its strongholds, as it gets ready to face the Assembly polls in the two states next month.

Till a week ago, the CPI (M)-led ruling Left Front in West Bengal was sitting comfortably with the opposition in total disarray as Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and Congress failed to stitch together a much-hyped 'mahajot' (grand alliance) to unitedly fight it.

CPI (M), which had emerged as the third largest party in the Lok Sabha by winning 44 seats in 2004 Lok Sabha elections and had also led Left parties to a record tally of 61 seats, was not only sure of retaining West Bengal for a record seventh time, but was also well-placed for regaining Kerala by leading the Left Democratic Alliance to victory over the Congress-led United Democractic Alliance.

LDF had won 18 of the 20 seats in 2004 Lok Sabha polls with the Congress for the first time drawing a blank.

But CPI (M) suffered a serious setback on March 18 when its state secretary and politburo member Anil Biswas had to be rushed to hospital with a severe cerebral attack and even after a week his condition was stated to have remained critical.

The sudden illness of Biswas at such a crucial juncture when the five-phase polls are less than a month away came as a severe jolt for the Marxist party as the short-statured leader was considered the main strategist of the party in West Bengal.