New Delhi: The rift among INDIA bloc parties was quite visible even a day before the first phase of polling took place on Tuesday in Chhattisgarh. Speaking to ETV Bharat, CPI National General Secretary D Raja said that there are problems among INDIA bloc partners. “Every party is an independent party. There can be problems. However, at the national level there is a common resolution to defeat BJP,” Raja said while talking about the differences that were visible among parties in the current Assembly elections.
Raja said that the INDIA bloc will also contest in all state elections. “In Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, we are contesting in alliance with the Congress. We have come to a seat-sharing understanding with Congress, which is the major party in Chhattisgarh,” Raja said.
He said that CPI will contest 14 seats in Rajasthan, 15 in Chhattisgarh and one in Telangana. Similarly, CPM has also announced their candidates for Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Another INDIA bloc partner, Samajwadi Party (SP), came out openly against the opposition constituents. SP leader and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday criticised the Congress claiming that the grand old party always cheated others.
Also read: 'SP is daydreaming': UP Minister on poster portraying Akhilesh Yadav as 'Future PM'
“When they can cheat us, they can cheat you (voters), too. So, don’t vote for them,” claimed Akhilesh. When contacted SP spokesperson Akhilesh Kathiyar said that all parties are contesting elections in all States. “The situation in Madhya Pradesh is against the BJP. This party is not forming a government in MP this time,” claimed Kathiyar.
He said that the way BJP faced defeat in Karnataka, in Madhya Pradesh, too, they will face defeat. “People in Karnataka dethroned BJP this time. People understood the party. So, the BJP will face the same fate in Madhya Pradesh. In the last elections, the verdict went against BJP in MP. But, they played dirty politics to come to power…this time people will dethrone BJP, the way people in Karnataka did,” said Kathiyar.
CPI leader Raja, however, denied to make any reaction over Akhilesh Yadav’s comment. “I have to see what Akhilesh says and why he said so,” said Raja. It is worth mentioning that as many as 28 opposition parties come under one umbrella named the INDIA bloc to defeat the BJP in the 2024 elections. However, ever since the alliance was formed, differences cropped up amongst the INDIA bloc alliance over their State-specific issues. However, senior leaders of the opposition bloc claimed that these State-specific issues would not hamper national politics.
