The CPI-M politburo member B.V. Raghavulu has said that more regional parties would join hands with the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc if the BJP faced defeat in elections to five State Assemblies just like in Karnataka. The BJP was in a hurry to conduct simultaneous elections to Assemblies and Lok Sabha to avoid such a ‘drubbing’, he told The Hindu.
Mr. Raghavulu was at Vaddeswaram near here to attend the party’s meeting on Thursday.
The regional parties were feeling the heat of the “authoritarian approach” of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. Their powers, including financial, were being usurped by the Centre in cleverly devised mechanisms such as extending incentives for implementation of the reforms, policies etc. suggested by it to avail the Central government funds, which are the right of the States.
The Shiv Sena, the Akali Dal, the Janata Dal (United) and others had already walked out of the NDA. If the BJP lost the coming elections in Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram, many more regional parties would part ways with the NDA.
Usually, the regional parties raised a banner of revolt if their existence or State’s interests were at stake. The Modi government had done gross injustice to Andhra Pradesh by not giving Special Category Status, by proposing the privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant etc. But, somehow, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), despite facing problems like the other States, was “kowtowing” to the BJP. The Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was also trying to be in the “good books of the Narendra Modi government”. As of now, there may not be much change in their policy towards the INDIA alliance, “but the situation may change” if the BJP lost in the five States, he felt.
To a question whether the Karnataka model wherein civil society organisations campaigned against the incumbent government would be adopted across the State, Mr. Raghavulu said, “not exactly the Karnataka model. But, efforts are being made in States like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and others.” The civil society organisations did not campaign “enamored by the Congress in Karnataka, but the Congress utilised the opportunity”. Civil society organisations such as ‘Eddelu Karnataka’ (‘Wake Up Karnataka’) and ‘Bahutva Karnataka’ (‘Pluralistic Karnataka’) did a dedicated and committed campaign against the previous BJP government in Karnataka.
Mr. Raghavulu said that the CPI(M) was gearing to contest from 15 constituencies in the State in the 2024 election. The party has identified the Assembly constituencies where it had a considerable presence and strength, he said.
Asked why the Left parties were silent on the Income Tax department serving notices on former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the CPI (M) leader said, “We cannot react and comment on what has been leaked to the media or based on the media reports. The I-T department serves notices to many people in the State or elsewhere in the country. Let the department come out officially with the details, we will respond.” Mr. Raghavulu said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia was also subjected to such cases, which were part of the BJP government’s tactics to “hamstring” the Opposition parties.
