General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Dipankar Bhattacharya talks about his party’s performance in the Bihar Assembly poll, the poor performance of Congress, and Bihar’s lessons for the West Bengal elections .
This election saw a resurgence of left-wing parties in Bihar, considering that they have practically been written off in the rest of the country. What changed for the left in Bihar?
Dismissing the left due to some electoral weakness and decline is a problem for the mainstream media. As for the left, we have been active in Bihar. These results claim two things. One is the ongoing work that the left and our party do on the ground among the rural poor, unorganized workers, farmers, students, etc. There are three D’s on our agenda: Dignity, Development and Democracy. People have developed their own critique of development.
For example, in Bihar, people could be seen saying that there can be no development without jobs. We have only helped people come to this understanding and articulate it. We have worked without fear … for example, many parties are apprehensive when talking about the human rights of Muslim youth. The courage to defend the truth and a coherent policy is the reason for our electoral victory.
How critical was the alliance to this CPI (ML) electoral victory?
The alliance definitely helped us. But our presence has also helped the other allies in Mahagatbandhan. It is not that the CPI (ML) was the only beneficiary. This alliance was made possible by the situation, by the threat that the BJP posed to democracy, the Constitution and the rule of law. This type of alliance was unthinkable 15 years ago.
Would you have won the same number of seats if you had gone alone?
Maybe not. We probably would have won eight seats, not 12. But, in that scenario, the votes would have disintegrated and that would have benefited the BJP. Now we find that the Mahagatbandhan the share of votes is only marginally below the NDA.
Despite his terrific performance, the Mahagatbandhan he fell short. Do you think the left should have had more space in the alliance?
I think what stands out very clearly is that Congress underperformed. 70 seats was too large a number for Congress to handle, they were overloaded and too spread out. If Congress had contested 40 seats, as it did in 2015, they could have focused much better. If the RJD had disputed 10 more seats, if the CPI (ML) had 10 more seats, if the CPI-CPI (M) had disputed 10 more seats, it would have been better for both Congress and the alliance. We are only a few seats behind the NDA and those seats could have been won with a more rational formula for sharing seats.
The next challenge for the left is the West Bengal Assembly poll in April 2021. How will the results of Bihar affect the elections in West Bengal?
The left should be inspired because, in West Bengal, the left has always been powerful. People think that Bengal’s political soil is more welcoming to the left, while Bihar is more difficult terrain. If the left can act in a difficult state like Bihar and in a difficult situation like the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no reason why the left in Bengal cannot do better. The key to the success of the left in Bihar is the work done on the ground. It’s not someone’s charisma, it’s not that someone gave good speeches. Basically, it is the silent and prolonged work of the left that paid off.
What is the biggest political enemy, the TMC or the BJP, in West Bengal?
Definitely, the BJP is the biggest political enemy. The TMC is the ruling party and of course the left will have to oppose the TMC government, but there can be no brackets between TMC and BJP together. The left cannot be indifferent to the idea that tomorrow there may be a BJP government in Bengal. A BJP government in Bengal will be a major threat to the left and the entire democratic system.
There have been differences of opinion within the left on the strategy for the West Bengal survey. Your comments.
Between the parties of the left, we will discuss to resolve the differences that exist. In Bengal, the PCI (M) and other left parties have not been sufficiently alert and attentive to the threat posed by the BJP there. The biggest concern for me is the way the votes on the left are dwindling and the BJPs are growing at the expense of the left in West Bengal. Congress is trying to dominate the Left-Congress understanding in Bengal. I don’t know how other left parties will respond to that. The left should reassert itself in Bengal, and its resurgence is not possible in collaboration with Congress.
Are you saying that Congress should not be part of the alliance in West Bengal?
No, I am not saying that. Increasingly, Congress is trying to play the role of “big brother” in Bengal. It is the same Congress that won 70 seats in Bihar and won only 19. Any servitude to Congress will be suicidal for the left in Bengal.
Should Congress draw lessons from Bihar and show more humility?
Congress must have its feet and ears on the ground. I find that Congress in UP is trying to play a role of agitation. Similar activism from Congress on the ground is lacking in many states. You can have your data analysis, but that alone will not win you the choice. Data analysis or social media presence are not a substitute for field work. Certainly, Congress’s 30% strike rate has hampered the Mahagatbandhan in Bihar.
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