CPI to go along with ‘weak’ Congress in UP elections

NEW DELHI: The CPI’S dilemma over its relations with the Congress seems to be growing. While it blames its losses in the Punjab polls on an anti-incumbency wave against the Amarinder Singh government, the same Congress is being counted upon for floating a ‘non-SP secular front’ in Uttar Pradesh.

Although the CPI is hoping that such a front could give a credible fight in the coming UP polls, the current political equations are loaded against it. While the BSP and the SP are hoping to hold on to their support base, smaller parties like Apna Dal have already entered the BJP tent. This will leave the Congress with the option of an also-ran CPI and an untested Jan Morcha of V P Singh. That the CPM was not inclined to back any such project was clear when the party on Wednesday said that it will contest 16 seats on its own.

The CPI’s expectation of the proposed front gaining popular support stems from its assessment of a ‘declining popularity’ for the SP. According to them, this would work to the advantage of the proposed secular front. CPI leaders Gurudas Das Gupta and C K Chandrappan met Sonia Gandhi for seeking the Congress’ involvement in the proposed ‘secular front’.

But political observers are not so sanguine. With the SP and BSP still enjoying the unstinted support of their traditional support base and the BJP on the upswing after the just-concluded assembly polls in northern states, there are not many non-committed voters in the state. Besides, the ‘secular voter’ will always prefer the party that’s best suited to defeat the BJP.

Coming back to the CPI, the outcome of the polls in Punjab has come as a serious setback for the party. With the BJP walking away with the urban voters and disaffection for the Congress government manifesting itself in important pockets, 22 of the 24 candidates lost their deposits. The party’s presence in Punjab assembly used to be flaunted by the CPI to claim appeal for its ideology in north India.

But just like the Congress leadership, the CPI has also sought to blame the Centre’s policies for the defeat. At their meeting with Ms Gandhi, the CPI leaders said price rise was the main issue that caused disaffection in the ruling side.