By opening its doors to an alliance with the Congress in West Bengal, the CPI(M) has decided to opt for a “triangular fight, rather than a quadrangular contest” for the Lok Sabha elections.

The party will also reach out to the Congress or its allies in States such as Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

Briefing reporters after a two-day meeting of his party’s Central Committee (CC), CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the electoral tactics will be based on the three principles — defeating the BJP alliance, increasing the strength of the CPI(M) and the Left in the Lok Sabha, and ensuring that an alternative secular government is formed at the Centre.

Yechury added that in States where the direct contest is between the Congress and the BJP, the CPI(M) will contest one or two seats.

Seat-sharing pacts

In Tamil Nadu, the discussions between the CPI(M) and the DMK are in the final stage. The party hopes to get at least two seats. “In Maharashtra, discussions are on with the Nationalist Congress Party for contesting Dindori or Palghar seats, where the CPI(M) independently polls around one lakh of votes each. In Bihar, talks are being held with the Rashtriya Janata Dal for contesting Ujiarpur seat in Samastipur district,” Yechury said.

In Odisha, where simultaneous polls will be held to Assembly and Lok Sabha, Yechury said the CC has permitted the party unit to contest the Bhubaneswar seat. “We have one sitting MLA in Bonai constituency and it falls under Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency, where the Congress has a good chance of defeating the BJP. We will support the Congress candidate there and the Congress will support our MLA candidate,” Yechury said. “The CPI(M), along with other Left forces, will be working out the details, particularly in the background of various struggles it has launched against the State government,” a statement issued by the party said.

In West Bengal, he said, the CC had earlier decided to adopt suitable tactics to ensure the maximisation of the pooling of anti-BJP and anti-TMC votes. “In accordance with this, the CPI(M) proposes no mutual contest in the present six sitting Lok Sabha seats, currently held by the Congress and the Left Front,” he said. He, however, did not divulge the details of the seat-sharing pattern.

“The Left Front is meeting on March 8 to finalise the other seats,” he added.

Disciplinary action

Meanwhile, the party panel decided to suspend its Maharashtra secretary Narasayya Adam from the Central Committee, for three months, after a speech in which he reportedly thanked Narendra Modi government and the State government for releasing funds for a cooperative housing scheme initiated by the CPI(M).

Related Topics