THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cracks appeared in the INDIA bloc on Sunday with the CPM and CPI national leaderships staying away from the rally organised by the bloc at Shivaji Park in Mumbai as a mark of protest against the Congress’s alleged violation of alliance propriety.
The absence of both Sitaram Yechury and D Raja comes at a time when the Left parties have opposed the candidature of top Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal from Wayanad and Alappuzha respectively.
Though the CPM and CPI general secretaries did not specify their absence had any connection to the candidatures of the senior Congress leaders, party insiders said there are some unresolved issues relating to the decorum of the front.
When asked about his absence in the INDIA bloc rally, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury told TNIE through a text message that he had an important meeting in Tripura. CPI general secretary D Raja too said he had some other important issues to take care of.
“Congress’ decision to field Rahul in Wayanad and Venugopal in Alappuzha is their priority. However, what message are they sending by fielding these two leaders against the Left, which is a dominant force in Kerala? If Rahul wanted to contest from south India, why could he not contest from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, or Telangana,” he asked.
Both the CPM and CPI leaderships in Kerala have asked the Congress not to field Rahul in Wayanad as his candidature would send a wrong message to the voters.
The Left leaders have been questioning the logic behind the Congress’ decision to field Rahul in Wayanad against the CPI, a constituent partner of the INDIA block, if the former considers the BJP as their primary opponent.
Besides, the decision to field Congress general secretary Venugopal from Alappuzha against a sitting CPM MP has not gone down well with them either. The Left is of the view that the Congress national leadership has succumbed to the state leadership’s pressure.
Venugopal’s tenure as Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan ends only in 2026. If he wins the Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, the vacant Rajya Sabha seat would go to the BJP. Venugopal’s candidature has raised many eyebrows within the Congress too.
“Fielding two top leaders of the Congress against the Left is sending a message that we are their main opponents. In that situation, participation or representation of the Left in the mega rally of the INDIA bloc would give a wrong message to the voters in Kerala,” a central committee member said on condition of anonymity.
