CPM Leader MA Baby Criticizes Congress Over West Bengal Alliance Decision
Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary MA Baby has issued a stern warning to the Congress party, stating that it "will suffer" due to its decision to not contest the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections in alliance with the Left Front. Baby emphasized that the Congress leadership should have actively explored possibilities with the Left to strengthen the collective effort to keep the BJP-RSS combine out of power in the state.
Left Front's Optimism and Electoral Strategy
The CPM, which has experienced a decline in its political standing in West Bengal in recent years, is expressing optimism about improving its performance in the forthcoming polls. This optimism stems from the inclusion of CPI(ML) Liberation into the Left Front alliance for these elections, with expectations that several smaller Left groups will also join the coalition. Baby asserted that together, these forces will be able to mount a formidable challenge.
In an official statement, the CPM declared, "CPM polit bureau has appealed to the people of West Bengal to defeat the authoritarian, anti-women and anti-poor rule of TMC and also the communal BJP by voting for the Left front." This appeal underscores the party's dual focus on opposing both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Rebuttal to Mamata Banerjee's Claims
Baby also firmly rejected West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent statement suggesting an unwritten alliance between the BJP and CPM in Kerala, citing the Union cabinet's approval to rename the state as Keralam. Banerjee had remarked, "The alliance is not unwritten any more after today." In response, Baby clarified that the CPM and other Left parties are vigorously fighting in Kerala to prevent the BJP from gaining ground.
He further reminded the public that it was Banerjee herself who had joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government in 1999 and served as the railway minister. This historical reference aims to counter allegations of Left-BJP collusion.
CPM's Broader Electoral Resolutions and State-wise Plans
Baby's remarks were made during a briefing following a meeting of the CPM polit bureau, where several key resolutions were passed. The leadership resolved to explore alliances with members of the INDIA bloc wherever feasible to defeat the BJP in upcoming elections. The party also reviewed its preparedness for polls in Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry.
In Kerala, where the CPM leads the Left Democratic Front government, the election campaign will be spearheaded by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The party plans to finalize its candidate list by the end of the first week of March. A CPM statement highlighted the state government's achievements, noting, "In Kerala, despite the constant efforts of the BJP-led Union government to strangulate the LDF government, it had put up its best performance by focusing on the elimination of extreme poverty, the first state to do so in the country, improve public health and education, ensure the protection of the rights of the workers and regular supply of essential items through the PDS."
The Left party accused the Congress-led United Democratic Front of mobilizing substantial financial resources and rallying sectarian forces in its support. It alleged, "It is playing a disruptive role inside the Assembly and outside by coordinating with the BJP. The BJP is also trying to expand in the state by promoting communal divisions. Both these forces have to be defeated." In Tamil Nadu, the CPM appealed to voters to re-elect the DMK alliance to defeat communal forces and strengthen secular traditions.
Regarding Assam, the CPM alleged that the BJP is conducting a rabidly communal and divisive campaign, hoping to benefit electorally from such tactics. The party emphasized, "Considering the larger interests of the people of Assam, as the largest opposition party, it is upon the Congress to ensure that anti-BJP votes are not split and the BJP is defeated." This statement places responsibility on the Congress to consolidate opposition votes against the BJP in the state.
