Decimated Left finds itself at electoral worst
The plight of the Left parties, particularly the CPI(M) led by Prakash Karat, is at its electoral worst. While its bastion in West Bengal is threatened by the Trinamul Congress, in Bihar it was completely decimated.
During the last Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, for the first time, the Left parties had failed to win a single seat. Once again questions are being raised whether Mr Karat would step down if the party loses in Bengal.
The CPI(M) central committee recently noted that the party has been unable to make any substantial progress in the northern belt which is a matter of concern.
While the CPI(M) has lost its single seat in the Bihar Assembly polls, the CPI(M-L) lost all five seats while the CPI managed to retain one seat out of its three seats. The three Left parties together had contested about 100 seats, most fought by CPI(M-L), and won only one.
The CPI(M)’s five-term MLA Ramdeo Verma (Bibhutipur) suffered a defeat. Another jolt for the party is the defeat of Amit Kumar Sarkar, son of slain CPI(M) leader Ajit Sarkar who had returned from Australia to contest on a CPI(M) ticket from Purnia. Ajit Sarkar had a running feud with don-turned-politician Pappu Yadav who has since been sentenced to life in connection with Sarkar’s murder. Amit’s entry in the fray had galvanised party cadres in Purnia.
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