Left parties join Bihar Grand Alliance

August 26, 2020 21:31

Left parties -- Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India-Marxist -- on Wednesday announced that they will forge an electoral alliance with the Grand Alliance in Bihar to ensure defeat of ruling National Democratic Alliance in the assembly elections due in October-November.

The left parties' in-principle decision to contest state assembly elections with the Mahagathbandhan was taken after a delegation comprising leaders of CPI and CPI-M met Bihar Rashrtiya Janata Dal president Jagdanand Singh in Patna.

The two parties were represented by their state secretaries -- Ram Naresh Pandey and Awadhesh Kumar- -- in the meeting.

Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's headed Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) had recently announced that it was leaving the opposition coalition in the state.

The two leaders were not sure about Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist joining the coalition, but said they would certainly like to bring them for a broad and comprehensive alliance.

The CPI-ML has three MLAs in the current assembly, while CPI and CPI-M does not have any representation in the House.

The ruling NDA in the state comprises of the Janata Dal-United, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Lok Janshakti Party.

"A delegation of leaders from CPI and CPI-M met state RJD president Jagdanand Singh at the latter's party office and had a detailed discussion on forging electoral alliance with the Grand Alliance to jointly fight assembly polls for defeating the NDA in the state," CPI's Bihar Secretary Ram Naresh Pandey told PTI.

His CPI-M counterpart Awadhesh Kumar echoed similar views.

"It was decided that all the constituents of Grand Alliance-RJD, Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, Vikassheel Insaan Party, CPI and CPI-M and other left and democratic parties-- will unitedly fight the 243 assembly seats of the state," Pandey said.

Asked about the number of seats on which both CPI and CPI-M will be willing to contest in alliance, he said that he will soon inform them about it.

"Whatever be the numbers, but it will be respectable count of seats that the two left parties will be contesting in alliance, Pandey added. -- PTI

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