In a setback for the INDIA bloc ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Communist Party of India (CPI) announced on Sunday that it is parting ways with the Opposition bloc INDIA. The CPI has decided to go solo and contest all 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand in the upcoming polls.
Notably, the CPI currently has no representation in the Lower House of Parliament from Jharkhand. “We have decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls on our own,” CPI state secretary Mahendra Pathak told PTI.
While the BJP has already announced its candidates, the Congress and the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ have not yet engaged in seat-sharing talks. Therefore, the decision to go solo was made during the party’s state executive committee meeting in Ranchi.
The CPI plans to field candidates in Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Koderma, Chatra, Palamu, Giridih, Dumka, and Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituencies. The names of the candidates will be disclosed after March 16, as stated by Pathak.
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In response, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), leading the state’s ruling coalition, expressed concerns about discipline within the CPI due to such decisions by the state unit.
JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey commented, “It is beyond my understanding… if the State unit can take such decisions. Discussions on seat-sharing are already underway at the national level.”
Currently, the BJP holds 11 out of the 14 seats in the state, the AJSU party has one, JMM has one, and the Congress has one. However, the Congress’ lone MP, Geeta Kora, recently shifted to the BJP.
The dates for the Lok Sabha elections are soon expected to be announced and are scheduled to take place in around April-May this year.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand, the Communist Party of India (CPI) did not win any seats. The party contested in certain constituencies but did not secure victories in the state. Meanwhile, the Congress secured one seat, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 11 out of the 14 seats.