NEW DELHI: With Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) negotiating seat-sharing talks for the Bihar Assembly elections, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation (CPIML-Liberation) is preparing to contest at least 40 seats.
Riding on its strong performance in 2020, winning 12 out of the 19 seats it contested, the party’s general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya is looking to expand its influence in more districts across north and northwest Bihar.
Confident of improving its tally in the forthcoming contest, he said that the party has been working on the ground, representing the aspirations and demands of the people of the state.
“Last time, we contested 19 seats and won 12. The Congress, by contrast, got 70 and got 19. So, this is a general perception that wherever CPIML contests, that actually improves the performance of the entire coalition in that area… Our strike rate is high. In that area, where we are, you'll find that the Congress, RJD have also done better. So, this is the general perception, I guess, that CPIML should get more seats this time,” said Bhattacharya.
Currently, CPIML-Liberation’s strength is concentrated in 12 districts, mostly in south Bihar, with limited presence in regions such as Mithila and Champaran. Bhattacharya said the party aims to broaden its reach across Bihar, particularly in areas it did not contest previously.
“We are prepared but maybe there are some 40-odd seats where we think that we can even contest. We would like to spread the net wide. Maybe south Bihar and even in north Bihar. For example, Mithila region, last time we didn't contest a single seat in Darbhanga and Madhubani. We only contested two seats in Samastipur. Even in, let's say, Champaran, we contested only one seat. I think we need more seats there. May not be that much in East Bihar,” the Left party leader added.
The Mahagathbandhan, which includes the RJD, Congress, and other Left parties, fell just short of a majority in the last election with 110 out of 243 seats.
The return of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) to the alliance adds another layer to the ongoing seat-sharing discussions, with at least three rounds of talks already held. Bhattacharya expects a final agreement within two months.
The elections in the state are scheduled for later this year.
On the theme of campaigning in the state, Bhattacharya said that failed governance, crime and unemployment are going to be at the core of the upcoming elections.
“This time around, it should be a decisive kind of mandate… There will be some kind of a definitely common campaign and common programme… The agenda for Bihar elections is quite given. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had talked about development, good governance. But whatever he said, I think now the ground reality is just the opposite. Acute poverty, massive unemployment, massive out-migration, the education and the healthcare system is in a complete mess,” he said.