File photo of I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: CPI has said the functioning of I.N.D.I.A. bloc has 'not been smooth' and Congress and other major parties have “not been accommodative” of the Left parties when it comes to seat sharing, which is proving 'detrimental' to them.
The party’s assessment came at a meeting of its National Council here between November 28 and 30 after senior leaders reviewed the political situation in the country, including the developments linked to Assembly elections in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Addressing a press conference to elaborate on the deliberations in the National Council, CPI General Secretary D Raja said Congress, being the main party in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, should take the lead in ensuring smooth functioning and that all are taken along.
He said the way Congress behaved with other parties in Haryana or other states were avoidable and that the CPI has conveyed its displeasure to the Congress leadership.
According to the National Council, the I.N.D.I.A. bloc was formed to take on the BJP-RSS and in defence of the values of our Constitution with much enthusiasm but the execution part after the formation of the broad-based alliance has “not been smooth”.
It said the major parties in the bloc “have not been accommodative” of the CPI and Left in many states and the alliance’s effectiveness is being “undermined by the lack of mutual respect, accommodation and ideological coherence”.
“The CPI and Left have unblemished secular credentials and a history of uncompromising struggle against the BJP-RSS. In this context, the CPI and Left cannot be left out of electoral battles but when it comes to seat sharing negotiations, the larger parties are dragging their feet,” it said.
“This is harming the Left politically and should be countered and raised with other parties at appropriate levels,” the National Council said.
Questioning the strategy during elections, it said the seat sharing is taking place only at the very end of nominations for elections and smaller parties are left with no options and have no clarity on which seats to be contested and prepared for.
“These factors are proving detrimental to the INDIA bloc as has been seen in the cases of many states recently. To counter this, the Left has to be proactive in putting an united front before other parties during negotiations and should try to get the support of other parties as well to make the INDIA bloc more representative and equal,” it added.