Had legitimate claim on RS seat from Bihar, but gave up for interest of grand alliance: CPI(ML) L

The party had earlier demanded five out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, however, made it clear that it will now seek a greater share in view of the exit of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) from the grand alliance.

Patna: CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya asserted that his party had a 'legitimate claim' on a Rajya Sabha seat in Bihar, which it relinquished in the larger interests of the 'Mahagathbandhan'.

Bhattacharya, whose party had earlier demanded five out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, however, made it clear that it will now seek a greater share in view of the exit of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) from the grand alliance.

Talking to reporters here on Wednesday, Bhattacharya, said, "The CPI (ML) Liberation has 12 MLAs in the Bihar assembly. We have made sacrifices for the alliance. We had a legitimate claim on a Rajya Sabha seat. But after the intervention of the top leadership of the Congress party, we decided to defer our claim (for a Rajya Sabha seat) in the interests of the grand alliance."

The Mahagathbandhan comprises the RJD, the Congress and three Left parties, including the CPI(ML) L.

He said that the party will support all three candidates of 'Mahagathbandhan' in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from Bihar.

Bhattacharya, however, denied speculations that he was in the race for a Rajya Sabha berth from the state.

"I was not in the race at all. It was all baseless news," he said.

As far as the coming Lok Sabha polls are concerned, Bhattacharya said, "The CPI (ML) Liberation will definitely seek a greater share following the exit of the JD(U) from the grand alliance. The matter will be discussed with leaders of the opposition bloc, including RJD, in a day or two," he hinted.

The RJD, the largest constituent of the grand alliance, on Wednesday, announced that Manoj Kumar Jha and Sanjay Yadav would be its candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar.

Both candidates are scheduled to file their nomination papers on Thursday. Bihar Congress President Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Tuesday filed his nominations for the polls in the state.

The RS polls, for which the last date of filing nomination papers is February 15, are scheduled for six seats in Bihar.

The ruling NDA comprising the JD(U) and the BJP, is contesting three.

Asked about the life imprisonment sentence to CPI(ML) Liberation MLA Manoz Manzil by a court in Bhojpur district, Bhattacharya, said, "The conviction of one of Bihar's most energetic young Dalit MLAs ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is emblematic of the escalating countrywide assault on democracy and the political opposition and the emerging political climate in Bihar in the aftermath of the BJP-JDU reunion."

CPI(ML) Liberation organised protests against the conviction of Manzil across the state on Wednesday, he said, adding that the party will also stage demonstrations on February 16.

"Manoj Manzil, the MLA from Agiaon (SC) in Bhojpur, and 22 other comrades were convicted in a politically motivated case filed in 2015. The case was filed on the eve of the 2015 assembly elections and Manoj had to fight the polls from within jail. He still got more than 30,000 votes," Bhattacharya added.

A court in Bhojpur district on Tuesday sentenced Manzil and 22 others to life imprisonment in a murder case of 2015.