For Left, Kerala is the red fort that must not fall | India News
New Delhi: For the Left, its most important battle is in Kerala, as the CPM-led LDF fights to return to power in the last communist-ruled state, which goes to polls along with West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry.In Bengal – where it was once a dominant force and now has no presence in state MLAs and MPs – it is striving for a revival. And in Tamil Nadu, it is fighting to ensure the return of the DMK-led alliance, of which the CPM and CPI are a part.
Left parties including the CPI(ML) are also gearing up to take on the BJP as part of the Congress-led alliance in Assam. They will focus on reaching out to the working classes, Dalits and other backward classes in all vote-bound states.
The general secretaries of CPM and CPI(ML) Liberation, respectively, MA Baby and Dipankar Bhattacharya, aim to expand the Left’s footprint, weaken the BJP where it is in power and ensure that the latter does not become stronger in opposition-ruled states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Emphasizing the outreach of Left parties, CPI’s D Raja said the BJP has been exposed for its failure on economy, job creation, inflation and foreign policy.Baby admitted that while a “tough fight” is going on in Kerala, “we are confident that people will see what the LDF government has done and not be influenced by the UDF and BJP’s narrative. We are also going to the people and are open to criticism to understand their concerns and address them.”With a resurgent UDF stepping up its attack on the two-term CPM-led government in Kerala and a BJP seen making inroads, the state assembly elections will be a crucial test for Left parties. A loss would put a big question mark on the Left’s relevance in the India bloc nationally.Meanwhile, to orchestrate a revival in West Bengal and mark its presence as a third force in the contest, the Left Front is going to the polls as a larger alliance that includes the CPI(ML) – unlike in the previous assembly elections – and some non-Left players.
