Elections 2019: CPI (ML) Determined to Contest from Ara and Siwan Seats in Bihar

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, after the Communist Party of India, another left party Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) has made it clear to contest the two seats of Ara and Siwan and will not make any compromise over them.

Despite the grand alliance’s (Mahagathbandhan) reluctance to give more than one seat (Ara) to the CPI (ML) to contest the Lok Sabha polls, the party state secretary Kunal said that they cannot make any compromise on both Ara and Siwan seats.

“Our party has been contesting from the Ara and Siwan seats with all its resources in every election since the 1990s. The party has also been getting good votes. There is no question to compromise on them,” Kunal told NewsClick.

Kunal said the main agenda of the CPI (ML) is to build a united opposition to oust the BJP-led NDA government of Narendra Modi.

Sources in Rashtriya Janata Dal said that the party is reluctant to give the Siwan seat to CPI (ML) on the ground that it is related to the former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, a criminal turned politician, who is now behind bars. RJD had fielded Shahabuddin’s wife Hina Sahab in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, but she was defeated by BJP. The RJD is likely to field her again.

Also Read: Elections 2019: Caste Equation Decides Candidates and Seat-sharing in Bihar

Ironically, in the last two and a half decades, when RJD strongman Shahabuddin—locally known as Bahubali for his muscle power—was a terror in Siwan, it was CPI (ML) that stood and fought against him. It has also been alleged that former JNUSU president and CPI (ML) leader, Chandrasekhar alias Chandu was murdered in Siwan on the instructions of Shahabuddin.

Kunal said, “Ara as well as Siwan have been the centre of our fight and movement against feudal forces and powerful anti-poor lords like Shahabuddin and private militia Ranveer Sena.”

However, he admitted that the much-awaited seat sharing of grand alliance has not been decided yet and there are problems waiting to be resolved.

He also said that the grand alliance should not ignore the Left parties and their influence and strong social support base among farmers, labourers, workers and common people on the ground.

According to CPI (ML) leaders, the party has made up its mind to contest from six seats including Ara, Siwan, Jehanabad, Karakat, Valmikinagar and Patliputra. The party will take the final decision on March 17 in the party election committee.

Earlier, the CPI had announced its decision to field former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar from the Begusarai seat for the Lok Sabha polls, and that the party will not make any compromise over it.

Also Read: No Compromise on Kanhaiya Kumar to Contest From Begusarai

Satyanarayan Singh, state secretary of CPI, expressed displeasure at Left parties not being invited for the grand alliance meeting attended by RJD, Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Hindustani Awam Morcha and Vikashsheel Insaan Party to finalise the seat sharing arrangement. He said CPI will finally decide on whether to contest alone or with the grand alliance at a meeting on March 17 in Patna. Singh hinted that CPI will contest from at least 4 or 5 seats.

According to Left party leaders, with RJD and Congress behaving negatively over seat sharing, Left parties are likely to contest separately from at least 15 of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Unlike the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, when Left parties fought elections separately, this time they have announced to contest polls together.

According to the grand alliance leaders, both the RJD and the Congress want to keep the Left parties in the grand alliance in view of their pockets of influence in over a dozen districts of the state, but are not willing to give them more than three or four seats.

In the 2014 elections, the RJD had won only four seats and the Congress two. The Nationalist Congress Party had won one seat. The Janata Dal-United, which contested separately, also won only two seats. The BJP-led NDA won 31 seats, with the BJP tally being 22.