Lok Sabha elections: In a big blow to the opposition coalition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, the Communist Party of India (CPI) parted ways from the alliance in Jharkhand and announced to go solo in the upcoming elections. This comes a day after Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) snubbed the I.N.D.I. alliance, declaring candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.
CPI to contest on 8 seats
The CPI has announced that it will contest in eight of the state's 14 Lok Sabha seats in the forthcoming elections. "We have decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls on our own," CPI state secretary Mahendra Pathak told PTI.
Notably, the CPI has no representation in the Lower House of Parliament from Jharkhand.
Here's why CPI parted ways with I.N.D.I.A bloc
The CPI said that it has decided to go solo because the Opposition alliance was delaying the seat-sharing arrangements. "The BJP has announced its candidates, but the Congress and the 'Mahagathbandhan' have not yet held any talks on seat-sharing. So, we have decided to go solo," he said.
Pathak further said that the decision was taken at the party's state executive committee meeting in Ranchi.
Pathak said that the CPI will nominate candidates to contest in the Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Koderma, Chatra, Palamu, Giridih, Dumka, and Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituencies. The names of candidates for these constituencies will be announced after March 16.
I.N.D.I.A bloc reaction
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which leads the ruling coalition in Jharkhand, commented on the CPI's decision, suggesting that such a move by the CPI state unit raises questions about discipline within the party. "It is beyond my understanding... if the state unit can take such decisions. Discussions on seat-sharing are already underway at the national level,” JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said.
It is pertinent to mention that recently Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(M) Secretary-General Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary D Raja were seen sharing state at the 'Jan Vishwas Rally' in Patna on March 3.
Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP has 11, AJSU party one, JMM one and the Congress has one. However, the Congress' lone MP Geeta Kora recently shifted to the BJP.
Within the ruling alliance, the JMM has 29 MLAs in the 81-member state assembly, the Congress has 17 and the RJD has one.
(With PTI inputs)
