In a severe blow to the CPI(M)?s efforts to strengthen the Left unity, the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) ended its 30- year association with the Left Front in Tripura and decided to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in the state on its own.
Even after repeated attempts by CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat to bring peace, the Forward Bloc national leadership on Friday decided to endorse its state unit?s stand to fight in 15 seats out of the 60 constituencies in the state.
?The CPI(M) is not sincere in keeping the Left unity intact. There is a limit for us to compromise. So we have decided to walk out of the front,? AIFB national secretary G Devarajan told FE. The AIFB has about 2-3% votes in the state. It?s walking out of the front could affect the CPI(M)?s chances in at least 7 constituencies. The AIFB had already decided to contest the West Bengal panchayat elections alone.
The AIFB had unsuccessfully contested one seat in the last elections. The state council of the party had demanded the CPI(M) to allot at least three seats for the coming elections. ?We have been demanding three seats for the last two decades. Sharing 10% seats with the alliance partners could have been a logical deal,? Devarajan added.