New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) Once considered invincible in West Bengal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its Left allies have lately been rendered inconsequential in state politics, leaving them at crossroads once again as the state prepares for another Assembly election.
The Left desperately needs a helping hand, as was evident in CPI(M) state committee secretary Mohd. Salim’s repeated overtures towards the Congress for another tie-up, despite the earlier adjustments ending in poll disaster.
In 2021, the Left parties and the Congress – engaged in an unusual alliance – were rendered non-existent in the Assembly that has a total strength of 294.
In 2024, the Left failed to win a single Parliamentary seat, while the Congress managed one.
Altogether, West Bengal sends 42 elected members to the Lok Sabha. The Left camp is in a state of disarray, more so after the Congress recently broke off its ties.
One reason being attributed is that Congress workers in West Bengal were disheartened following a series of losses at the hustings.
State leaders impressed upon the party’s central leadership that the Pradesh Committee has been unable to strengthen itself over the past two decades due to its dependence on coalitions.
Now they wish to infuse optimism and assurance among grassroot workers on their own steam.
On the other hand, observers also point to the earlier change in state leadership as a tectonic shift in the political viewpoint.
Former state party President, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a known Mamata Banerjee-baiter, had let go of his own enmity with the Communists during the 34 years of Left rule to aim for the removal of a common enemy.
They claim that incumbent Subhankar Sarkar is amicable and goes by the central party’s views, unlike Chowdhury who held more regional power.
Sarkar is largely seen as the party's “soft face”. Even as the Congress decision came, there rose objections within the CPI(M), also the Left partners, against an alliance with other Islamic parties like the Janata Unnayan Party (JUP) or Indian Secular Front (ISF).
The latter was part of the Left-Congress alliance. Salim’s recent meeting with Humayun Kabir, the former Trinamool Congress MLA, now building a multi-crore replica of the Babri Masjid in the Muslim-dominated district of Murshidabad, did not go well with many in the party.
It was apparent that such a meeting would spark an alliance speculation before the upcoming polls.
Thus, his cautious response failed to convince leaders in his own party as well as among Left Front partners like the Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party.
Salim had clarified that the meeting with Kabir does not mean that a political tie-up is imminent with the JUP founder.
Reports suggest that veteran CPI(M) leader Biman Basu is now going to address it as the Left Front chairman. He is expected to hold a round of bilateral talks with the partners before a joint meeting to arrive at a conclusion.
According to some Left leaders, the bloc intends to settle official and unofficial “tactical” political understandings by the end of the third week this month.
This will give them time later to negotiate the final list of candidates with all allies. Meanwhile, the Furfura Sharif shrine’s Pirzada, Naushad Siddiqui, founder of ISF is said to be seeking at least 50-60 seats, especially in the Muslim-dominated seats of West Bengal.
That has left the CPI(M) worried of subsequent pressures from other partners for increasing their share of seats. These issues are to be taken up in CPI(M) state committee, which is scheduled to meet next week.
Though Basu is not a member of this committee anymore due to advanced years, he is a special invitee with limited rights and responsibilities. However, he will then have to convince other Left Front partners that weekend according to the state committee’s decision.
--IANS
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