Agartala, June 19 (IANS) Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary M.A. Baby on Friday said all constituent parties of the opposition INDIA bloc must undertake honest and sincere introspection of the 2024 Lok Sabha election outcome to emerge as a stronger alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Maintaining that the INDIA Bloc remains a viable platform to challenge the BJP and its allies, Baby said greater unity, realism and accommodation among alliance partners could have significantly improved the opposition’s electoral performance in the 2024 parliamentary polls.

“If the INDIA bloc parties had been more united, realistic and accommodating, there was a greater possibility of defeating the BJP and its allies,” the CPI (M) leader told media persons in Agartala.

“Due to the collective efforts of the INDIA Bloc, the BJP lost its majority and is now dependent on its two key allies — the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh and the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar — to run the government,” Baby said.

The veteran Left leader argued that a broader seat-sharing arrangement among opposition parties could have yielded better electoral results.

“If common candidates had been fielded by the INDIA Bloc in around 400 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, the BJP could have been defeated,” he claimed.

Baby said all constituent parties of the alliance, irrespective of their size and strength, should be treated with equal respect and given meaningful participation in decision-making processes.

“The approach of both big and small constituents of the INDIA Bloc should be realistic and centred on issues affecting the people. People-centric concerns must remain at the forefront of our political agenda,” he said.

He further stressed that while electoral contests among alliance partners may sometimes be unavoidable, such competition should be conducted with mutual respect.

“If we put up candidates against each other, we must maintain decorum and dignity. We should not fight among ourselves. Instead, we should focus on issues concerning the people,” Baby said.

Reiterating the CPI (M)’s commitment to opposition unity, he said the Left parties would continue to work towards further strengthening the INDIA bloc and enhancing coordination among its constituents to effectively counter the BJP and its allies in the future.

Reiterating the need for broader opposition unity, Baby said the INDIA Bloc remains a workable platform and called upon all constituent parties to strengthen cooperation, focus on people’s issues and work collectively to provide a credible political alternative at the national level.

The CPI (M) General Secretary launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led NDA government, alleging that its policies have deepened economic inequality, weakened democratic institutions and adversely affected workers, farmers, students and marginalised sections of society.

Baby said India has witnessed an unprecedented rise in inequality during the past decade under the NDA government. Citing international studies, he claimed the concentration of wealth has reached levels surpassing those seen during British colonial rule.

He alleged that the Centre has failed to address pressing issues affecting the common people, including unemployment, rising prices, farmers’ distress and labour-related concerns.

Criticising the labour codes and the proposed electricity sector reforms, the CPI (M) leader said the NDA government was facilitating the interests of large corporate groups at the expense of workers, farmers and poor people.

“The business lobby has become so powerful that the government lacks the courage to curb its irregularities,” Baby alleged, adding that the NDA government has shown little willingness to rectify its policy failures.

Demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, he alleged that repeated examination irregularities, including alleged paper leaks in major examinations such as NEET and other recruitment and academic tests conducted by agencies like the National Testing Agency (NTA), have pushed lakhs of students and youths into uncertainty and crisis.

The CPI (M) General Secretary also referred to the deaths of children allegedly linked to contaminated cough syrup in different parts of the country and abroad, accusing the government of failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight over pharmaceutical companies.

Highlighting what he termed the achievements of Left governments in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura, Baby said the Left parties have consistently worked for the welfare of all sections of society whenever they have had the opportunity to govern.

He claimed that Kerala remains the only state in the country that has effectively eradicated extreme poverty and said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had implemented several people-centric welfare programmes.

Referring to the recent Assembly election results in Kerala, Baby said the CPI (M) and the LDF have already begun a process of introspection to assess the reasons behind their electoral setback despite numerous developmental achievements.

Acknowledging organisational shortcomings within the party, he said the CPI (M) is undertaking a comprehensive review of its functioning, identifying weaknesses and preparing itself for future political challenges and elections.

“We will introspect, correct our shortcomings and further strengthen the party organisation,” he said.

The veteran Left leader said the party is making conscious efforts to bring more women and younger generations into leadership positions.

Referring to recent organisational changes, he noted that veteran West Bengal Communist leader Biman Bose had stepped down from the CPI (M) Politburo, reflecting the party’s commitment to generational transition and organisational renewal.

Speaking about Tripura, Baby described the unity between tribal and non-tribal communities as one of the most inspiring experiences he had witnessed.

Referring to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which covers nearly two-thirds of the state’s geographical area, he stressed the need to preserve social harmony and strengthen unity among all communities.

He expressed concern over the growing influence of identity-based politics, caste-based mobilisation and religion-centred political campaigns across the country. According to him, such developments are creating divisions among people and weakening democratic values.

“In different parts of the country, particularly in states like West Bengal, various forms of communal politics and competitive communalism have emerged. Such trends pit one section of society against another and divert attention from real issues affecting the people,” he said.

The CPI (M) leader also criticised what he described as efforts to exploit social divisions for electoral gains and warned against attempts to create rivalries between tribal and non-tribal communities.

Baby alleged that the BJP has been attempting to expand its political influence by encouraging defections and mergers involving leaders and parties from across the political spectrum. He claimed that such strategies were aimed at consolidating political power rather than strengthening democratic institutions.

He also expressed reservations regarding the Women’s Reservation Bill, alleging that the BJP intends to link its implementation with future delimitation exercises for political considerations.

The CPI (M) General Secretary said the broader objective of opposition parties should be to defend democratic values and defeat what he termed as the “fascistic politics” of the RSS-controlled BJP.

Stressing the importance of Left unity, Baby said that various Left parties are increasingly coming together across different states to strengthen struggles on issues affecting workers, farmers, youths, women, and marginalised communities.

“Whenever ordinary people, workers, peasants, marginalised and downtrodden sections face injustice, the Left will stand with them,” he said.

Referring to the changing political situation in the country, Baby said a new phase has emerged before the Left movement, requiring renewed efforts to connect with people and address their concerns. He expressed confidence that the Left parties would overcome existing challenges and emerge stronger in the coming years.

The CPI (M) leader also condemned recent international conflicts, including military actions involving the United States, and expressed concern over civilian casualties and loss of lives in conflict zones.

–IANS

sc/dan