CPI leader D. Raja defends poll tie-ups in Tamil Nadu, Bengal

Political compulsions were behind the limited share of seats for the Left parties in Tamil Nadu, said CPI general secretary D. Raja, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. He also defended the Left Front’s alliance with Muslim cleric Abbas Siddiqui’s party Indian Secular Front (ISF) in Bengal.

The DMK has conceded only six seats each to the CPI and the CPI(M) in Tamil Nadu, when the latter had demanded a number that touched at least double digits.

“There are many political compulsions, which is understandable. We tried our best to get a good share, but that was not possible. We felt that it was far more critical to stall the BJP in the State, which is trying to get a foothold by riding on the AIADMK’s shoulders,” Mr. Raja told The Hindu.

The CPI leader, however, conceded that the Left’s seat share in alliances often did not correspond to the political and ideological influence that it wielded.

Bengal tie-up

The Left Front in Bengal has come under severe criticism for its alliance with greenhorn party ISF, which is headed by chief patron of Furfura Sharif Abbas Siddiqui. The Left Front has been slammed for conceding 37 seats to the party that many see as a communal one.

Defending the decision, Mr. Raja said, “There is no evidence that the ISF or Mr. Siddiqui has stoked communal violence. Just because the ISF has a substantial Muslim following doesn’t make it communal. If that was the case, then what should we call the BJP, who promote communal fascist politics?”

The elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry were critical to save the secular democratic structure of India, he added.

Mr. Raja also countered the claim that the Left Front’s political line in Bengal was flawed, with an emphasis on targeting the ruling TMC rather than the resurgent BJP.

“There is no doubt that in Bengal, the BJP has to be stopped. At the same time, we must ask the question on how we reached this pass. Who allowed the BJP’s entry in the State? Who opened the doors for them?” he asked.

Mamata incident

On the alleged assault on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the CPI leader said that while it was clear that she was injured, it was for the Bengal authorities to find out how the incident happened.

The TMC, in a memorandum to the Election Commission on Friday, claimed that unknown miscreants tried to kill Ms. Banerjee.

Condemning the incident, Mr. Raja said, “There should never be any place for violence in politics.”