‘TMC, CPI’s decision to go solo in LS polls a big blow to INDIA bloc’

New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) The Trinamool Congress and the CPI deciding to go it alone in West Bengal and Jharkhand respectively has dealt a big blow to the INDIA bloc and its efforts to unitedly fight and defeat the BJP across the country, some opposition leaders have said.

After the TMC's strong rebuff to the Congress by announcing candidates for all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, the grand old party has now initiated talks with the CPI-M for a possible tie-up in the state.

The Left parties have also said the remaining INDIA bloc members would have to restrategise to defeat the TMC and the BJP in West Bengal "to save democracy".

The INDIA bloc was formed by more than two dozen non-NDA parties including the Congress and the TMC to take on the BJP unitedly and defeat it in the 2024 general elections.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Sunday gave a major shock to the opposition grouping Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) by declaring all its candidates from West Bengal.

Sources said West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has initiated talks with the CPI and CPI-M for a possible seat-sharing deal for the state.

Differences within the INDIA parties and their reluctance to part with seats in states ruled by regional players have caused friction within the alliance, leading to a direct contest between some of the partners in states like West Bengal, Kerala and Punjab.

While the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress are contesting together in Delhi, they are against each other in Punjab and so are left parties and the Congress in Kerala. In West Bengal too, the TMC and the Congress will be pitted against each other now.

Even as some members of the INDIA grouping are fighting against each other, the Congress has invited the leaders of all the parties to its public rally in Mumbai on March 17 to mark the culmination of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

"We have extended an invitation to all parties to attend the joint public rally of INDIA bloc in Mumbai on March 17 and we expect all the parties to be together on one platform on the occasion," said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh.

The Congress, however, remained tight-lipped on TMC and CPI's decision to fight separately and said their doors are open for an alliance even with the withdrawal of candidates.

When asked about INDIA bloc constituents up against each other, a senior Congress leader did not rule out the possibility of a "friendly fight" in some states.

Another senior leader, when asked about the TMC's snub to the Congress in West Bengal, said, "The two parties are ideologically together, but are separate on seat-sharing." The leader said on the condition of anonymity that the TMC and the CPI breaking ranks with the INDIA bloc is a "big blow" to the opposition unity.

A senior opposition leader also questioned the commitment of some parties in fighting the BJP. The are feeling "pressured" by the ruling dispensation and are unable to fight them out, he said.

Some parties are working in favour of the BJP out of fear of probe agencies, he said.

"When on the discussion table, they talk of fighting the BJP together and oust them from power, but now they are fighting against each other in elections. This shows their intent to fight the BJP is not sincere," said a leader.

Another leader said it will have to be seen whether the opposition alliance remains together till the Lok Sabha elections and if their fight against the BJP is still united or scattered and "half-hearted".

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said that in West Bengal, public gatherings are uniting against the divisive and autocratic policies of both TMC and BJP.

CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that with the TMC announcing all its candidates, the other INDIA bloc parties will have to sit together and decide how to go about the polls and defeat the "BJP and TMC".

"If the TMC has announced (its candidates), it is a clear indication that rest of the parties will have to sit together and decide how to proceed in fighting these elections in Bengal," he said "We are asking all secular forces in Bengal to come together to defeat the BJP and the TMC, which actually has taken such unilateral decisions... CPI(M)'s appeal has always been to defeat BJP and defeat TMC in order to save democracy in India and Bengal," he said.

The leaders of 26 opposition parties of the INDIA bloc are expected to be together on one platform once again at the Mumbai rally organised by the Congress. PTI