CPI is fighting in Jharkhand with Left parties and not with India. Why?
You should ask Congress and JMM. They alone cannot just decide on seats and leave something to others. There should have been formal and decent consultations. Do not expect political parties to keep away from elections. India does not mean Congress alone. It consists of other parties too, including the Left. They should have remembered that.
Are you saying there were no proper negotiations?
We are working in a Parliamentary democracy. It means participation in elections. How long can parties keep away from participating in elections? It is a different matter about the number of seats one fights. We should have mutual trust in each other. There should be accommodation.
Why were the negotiations in Jharkhand not fruitful?
That you should ask Congress. Congress should answer.
Is Congress thinking that the Left is not a factor in Jharkhand?
We used to win seats in Parliament and Assembly elections. The Left has a widespread presence in the state. We have a strong trade union base. As the largest party in the India bloc, Congress should draw lessons from the Haryana debacle.
What should they have done differently here?
They did not give us the one seat they promised in Haryana. We had accepted their offer of one seat. They did not keep their word.
What happened in Haryana?
I don’t know. The Congress leadership should answer.
In West Bengal, there is no seat adjustment with the Congress like in 2021 and 2024. Why?
Congress should realize that this is a new situation. It should be accommodative. In Tamil Nadu, DMK chief MK Stalin showed the political maturity and understanding to accommodate all allies respectfully and we won all seats. Congress should learn from this experience. Why can’t Congress do what Stalin did?
What is happening in Maharashtra?
Do you think India is slowly disintegrating?
No. I won’t say that but some problems are there. The responsibility lies with the Congress.
One saw coordination during Lok Sabha elections. Why not now?
In Lok Sabha polls also, there was no proper seat sharing arrangement. It happened only in Tamil Nadu and Bihar. In other places, the Left was not taken on board.
Do you think India is losing momentum after the Lok Sabha results?
I won’t say that. India parties should understand the aspirations of the people. Narendra Modi said 400+. People did not give 300 or even a simple majority. People are mature enough to give their verdict. All secular and democratic parties should understand this and draw lessons.
So do you think the Congress is playing the ‘big brother’?
I don’t want to say that. Congress should work with secular, democratic and Left parties. In a parliamentary democracy, elections are crucial and seat sharing must be done in an accommodative way.
Major parties complain that smaller parties are asking for seats beyond their strength. Is it so?
In Haryana, only one seat was offered and said yes. But they did not give that. How do you explain this? Strength is not a permanent feature. In coalition politics, one has to work with others. If we do not have strength, they can refuse to take our political support. Why do they need our political support?
Published 25 October 2024, 02:45 IST