Given short-shrift, CPI to fight Bihar bypoll with CPM, CPI-ML

PATNA: Apparently stung by denial of inclusion in the grand secular alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress, the CPI today decided to fight the coming bypolls in 10 seats in Bihar jointly with the CPI-M and CPI-ML.

"Our first priority is working for the Left unity. CPI, CPI-M and CPI-ML together will fight bypolls in 10 seats in Bihar next month," CPI State Secretary Rajendra Singh told PTI.

Asked if JD(U) and RJD initiated any talks with them to include them in the grand secular alliance and if denial of place in the alliance forced them to chart a different path, the CPI Secretary was evasive in his reply and merely said "not much talks took place."

As per the understanding reached by JD(U) and RJD, the two parties will contest four seats each giving the remaining two to the Congress leaving nothing for CPI.

JD(U) had agreement with CPI in the recent Lok Sabha poll and had given two seats to that party.

Former Chief Minister and senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar had spoken in favour of secular unity including his party, RJD, Congress and CPI against BJP in the bypoll. Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had also talked about taking CPI along.

Singh said after arriving at the decision at CPI State Executive committee meeting, we held discussions with leaders of CPI-M and CPI-ML and reached an understanding to fight the bypolls together.

Kunal, state Secretary of CPI-ML, who was present in the talks between the Left parties, corroborated Singh's view, saying that seat-sharing between the three Left parties was no "big problem" and would be decided smoothly soon.

The CPI-ML leader scoffed at the grand alliance of the three parties and termed it as "opportunist".

"Congress has been behind all the problems in the country against which Left, JD(U) and RJD have fought all along and now they have joined hands with them for political consideration," he alleged.