The seat sharing talks between the constituents of INDIA block have started in right earnest. Congress high command has finally understood the need for early clinching of the agreements between the INDIA partners taking into the specifics of the political situation in each state. It is a welcome development.
To start with, the Congress and the two Left parties CPI and the CPI(M) have agreed to treat Kerala on a different footing where the Left Front led by the CPI(M) and the United Democratic Front led by the Congress will be fighting among themselves for the 20 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP is not a threat in the state’ So whoever wins, will be a win for INDIA bloc. Then the case of Bengal is there where the Left is in a very weakened position and it has decided to fight both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress in the state. If the Congress takes the decision to ally with Trinamool, the Left will fight alone in the Lok sabha elections with a small ally ISF.
Apart there are four states, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Bihar and Jharkhand where the INDIA bloc is functioning together and the Congress is one of the partners, not the major one. Among these, already, the CPI and the CPI(M) are holding two seats each in Tamil Nadu under the alliance led by DMK. It is hoped that this pattern will continue in 2024 polls also. Among the other three states, in Bihar, the CPI is negotiating for one seat while the more powerful CPI(ML) Liberation is negotiating for minimum two seats. Both JD(U) and RJD may have to finally concede this.
Now, there are states, where the Congress is the main INDIA bloc party fighting the BJP or the non-INDIA regional party. At the same time, the CPI and the CPI(M) have also their small bases which can contribute effectively to the win of the INDIA candidates. These states are Assam, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.
In Assam, there are 14 seats in Lok Sabha. Presently nine are with BJP, three with the Congress, one with AIUDF and one independent. The Congress as the dominant party in the INDIA bloc can consider giving one seat each to the CPI(M) and the CPI. Both the parties have specific base and they had members to Lok Sabha earlier. Assam needs a strong INDIA combination to combat the NDA led by the chief minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sharma who is a very competent organiser.
Then in Odisha, there are21 seats out of which the BJD has got 12, BJP 8 and the Congress one. INDIA has to fight both the BJP and the BJD. Congress can easily give one seat each to the CPI and the CPI(M) for effectively giving a fight to both. Both the parties have limited bases in the districts and the Congress will be highly benefitted with the active support of the Left mass organisations.
As regards Andhra Pradesh, this state was once a stronghold of the communists, but now it is dominated by the YSRCP led by Jagan Mohan Reddy. Out of 25 seats, YSRCP has got 22 and TDP two, BJP and the Congress have no seats. The state Congress has been strengthened a bit with the joining. Of Jagan’s sister Sharmila but that is not adequate. There are any constituencies where the Left support base is more than ten per cent. TDP may align with the BJP. So a total alliance of the Congress and the two communist parties can give a good electoral fight. Both the CPI and the CPI(M) can be given by the Congress one to two seats each.
Similarly in Rajasthan, the CPI(M) has solid base in four seats. Though the party lost its seats in the last assembly polls, it has the capacity to contest and win from one seat from the state. The Congress will do well to consider giving one seat to the CPI(M) in Rajasthan for strengthening the electoral alliance. The Congress has to negotiate with the Samajwadi Party also as the Party has good support base in four to five Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
In sum, the objective should be to make optimum use of the organisational power of the INDIA constituents in this electoral battle. Congress is certainly the dominant party of the INDIA bloc but its prospects brighten with the mobilisation of all anti-BJP forces including the Left. 2024 Lok Sabha polls must build the base of a solid programmatic alliance of the Congress and the Left to take the country forward in fighting against the forces of communalism and authoritarianism. (IPA Service)
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