In this election the primary target has been to defeat the BJP at any cost in the state. It is worth recalling that at the Delhi meet of INDIA, even Sitaram Yechury of CPI(M) and RJD supremo Lalu Yadav had emphasised on sacrificing self interest in the greater interest of INDIA.

But unfortunately, it does not appear to be happening in Jharkhand. Just after state list of the seats to be contested by the INDIA constituents was cleared at the national level, the state leaders of CPI and CPI(M) have raised banner of revolt against the INDIA leaders. CPI on Sunday named party candidates for four seats – Abhay Bhuiyyan in Palamu, Mahendra Oraon in Lohardaga, Arjun Kumar in Chatra and Rajesh Kumar Kisku in Dumka. CPI will contest four more seats.

Of course the state CPI is free to field as many candidates it desires. But at the same time they must comprehend the fallout of its move. CPI(M) too has nominated Gopin Soren, a farmer leader, from the Rajmahal seat and Jainendra Kumar from the Chatra Lok Sabha constituency. Left sources maintain that MCC has also decided to fight from the Dhanbad seat.

In this perspective the statement of the CPM’s state secretary is quite important. He said: "We cannot become inactive in Jharkhand. Contesting elections in the state is part of our party's plan to win six per cent votes in four or more states in the Lok Sabha election to remain a national party." His statement utterly reflects the compulsion of the CPI(M) but can it be at the cost of the INDIA bloc’s fight against the BJP?

The left leaders have come out with yet one claim; it is essential to get 6 per cent of votes for being recognised as national party. Do they feel that by winning one or two seat they will acquire necessary 6 per cent votes? Otherwise too CPI has lost its status of national party. In 2023 the Election Commission of India (ECI) had withdrawn the national party status of Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

Certainly the INDIA bloc leaders owe an explanation for not talking to the Jharkhand CPI(M) leaders on seat sharing. But the primary reason is the two parties have not been a potential political force. Even in the 2020 Jharkhand assembly election they had not won a single seat. Only the other left CPI(ML) had won Bagodar seat. Obviously the CPI(ML) had s stake in the process of seat sharing negotiation. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election the CPI(ML) would be contesting from Koderma CPI-ML state secretary Manoj Bhakt said his party would be fighting from the Koderma seat and it would support INDIA candidates on other seats

Since the INDIA bloc had set up a national level committee to sort out the state level differences, it would have been correct for the Jharkhand CPI and CPI(M) leaders to take up the matter at national level. If they were really interested to contest the LS election they could requested their leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja to talk to Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav.

There are 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand and the CPI does not have any MP nor it has any MLA in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly having the coalition of JMM-Congress-RJD ruling since December 2019. What has come as a rude shock is the claim of the CPI Jharkhand general secretary Mahendra Pathak; We have got clearance from our party central command for these four Lok Sabha seats”. He even claimed; “We have given a list of candidates for four more Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand for consideration of our party central command and if we get their clearance then we will put candidates in Hazaribagh, Giridih, Jamshedpur and Ranchi seats,” added Pathak.

The experts and academics compare the prevailing situation in Jharkhand with that of Bihar. They point out that the CPI and CPI(M) have fielded candidates from the seats which are strong for INDIA bloc candidates. Leaders of the bloc said that a seat-sharing agreement has been finalised for all the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies. The Congress would contest seven seats, the JMM would fight in five constituencies, while the RJD and CPI(ML) would field candidates in the remaining two seats in Jharkhand. (IPA Service)