Whose Mahagathbandhan Is It Anyway? CPM Rules Out Joining National-Level Alliance For 2019 Polls

The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM), in a move that will have a nationwide impact for the opposition parties, has ruled out its involvement in the national-level opposition alliance for the 2019 general election, Live Mint has reported.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury at a press conference said that the party’s main task was to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the centre.

He was attending a three-day meeting of the central committee of the party to discuss the strategy for the 2019 elections as well as the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. Central committee of CPM is the highest decision making body of the party.

“A grand alliance on the national front is not possible. The main task in front of the CPM is to defeat the BJP. We will support to defeat the BJP. If alliances are looked at state-wise, we can look into it,” said Yechury.

However, post-poll alliance has not been ruled out by Yechury saying that it depends on “what the election verdict throws up”.

The decision taken by the central committee revolved around defeating the alliance, strengthening the party and the left in the Lok Sabha and ensuring formation of a “secular government” at the centre.

The committee also decided that CPM will be fighting assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in some seats and campaigning for BJP’s defeat in the rest.

“This has been worked out in accordance with the decisions taken at the last party congress. There is no question of deviating from our party congress,” he said.