Why Left parties' presence at Khammam rally is significant ahead of 2024 polls

If politics is the art of the possible, the Left, together with a few other parties,  is making the right move. With eyes on the next Lok Sabha polls, leaders of the two main Communist parties came together with some of their peers from other Opposition parties at a rally held in Khammam on Wednesday. It was organised by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Left may bring together regional, national parties

The rally drew a mammoth crowd though Congress and a few other regional parties may have their reservations about it. It is so since the leaders of these parties were not invited by KCR. Yet, the Left was far from having been left out. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI general secretary D Raja were among the main participants. And it is the presence of these two which assumes more importance than that of even Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

The Left’s significance lies in the fact that it has the ability to act as a bridge between regional and national parties. This can well have the potential to pose a joint challenge from the Opposition to the BJP. In the past, it was the role played by the Left more than anything else that brought together diverse parties to keep the BJP out of power for at least a few years, or through the 1990s.

Also read: KCR’s mega show of strength at Khammam rally; pitch to oust BJP in 2024

Surjeet took the lead in 1990s

Since Congress under PV Narasimha Rao had lost polls, CPI-M (then) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet took the call to get the Congress support for a coalition government at the Centre. The BJP became the single largest party in the Lower House of Parliament in 1996, and yet the government formed with Atal Behari Vajpayee as the Prime Minister could not last. This is not the lone case when Marists could prevail over a national party and get its support to catapult a regional leader like HD Deve Gowda first and IK Gujral later to the post of Prime Minister.

Prior to it, when VP Singh got the top job, he had the support of both the BJP and CPI (M). More recently, Congress could regain power in 2004 and preferred Manmohan Singh to become Prime Minister, courtesy of the support of the Left and a few other parties. In all these instances, Surjeet played a crucial role as a key leader of the Left Front.

Also Read: For BJP juggernaut, Modi is the engine and Hindutva is the fuel

Surjeet died in August 2008 and after him, confusion appeared to have betaken the Left. This is what the Left is apparently trying to overcome now.

KCR aims formation of third front

However, the Khammam jamboree is being interpreted by media and analysts as a move by KCR and his cohorts in the Opposition to form a third front. This is also said to have the potential of spoiling Congress’ chances more than the BJP’s. Yet, the fact is that the Left has warmed up to contest February 16 Tripura polls in alliance with the Congress on one hand and also participated in KCR’s rally for the Opposition unity, on the other. Both the moves may well be laden with the promise of further alliances among the non-BJP parties in the future.

Also Read: Why Bharat Jodo Yatra shouldn’t be seen in terms of immediate votes

Kejriwal’s AAP can hardly be expected to engage directly with the Congress for any pre-poll understanding and Akhilesh Yadav’s SP, too, has been cold to Congress. But the Left’s entry at Khammam to the non-Congress and non-BJP camp of Opposition parties turns the Left into a common link between the divergent trends that Opposition parties are caught up with. Left and Congress are also part of JDU-led government in Bihar. This is how the Left association with different Opposition parties or groups can open new channels of interaction in future.

Though the Left’s influence is limited to only certain pockets of the country, its contribution to national politics has been far more. Its cadres may be few, but sympathisers are many. They also try to set political discourse though of late, they have been sidelined quite a bit because of politics giving way to the market. It is against this backdrop that the Opposition parties meeting at Khammam took place.

Also read: Bharat Jodo Yatra: Kharge invites 21 parties to join concluding function in Srinagar

KCR’s Khammam show vs Rahul’s Srinagar event

Amid this, the Centrist position of Congress needs to be bridged for taking on the BJP effectively. Congress, on its part, has invited leaders from 21 parties to participate at the end of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra at Srinagar. This will see the hoisting of national flag at the State Congress office on January 30. It is also going to mark the martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi. But Congress did not invite a few parties to its Srinagar event. These include BRS and AAP. Both CPI-M and CPI are among the invitees.

In political quarters, these overtures are being keenly watched. So much so that a comparison is bound to be made between the leaders and parties that attend Rahul’s Srinagar event on January 30 with those who graced KCR’s Khammam rally. Since the leaders from the Left parties were at Khammam and may also be present at Srinagar, the Left, obviously, is not only quite sought after but also attaining a unique position vis-à-vis other Opposition parties.

These moves being made today are, indeed, significant from the point of view of electoral formations that are going to be made or unmade through the months and the year to come.