CPI(M) Politburo holds meeting to strategise on Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi [India], March 11 : Day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress announed candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, dealing a blow to the possiblity of alliance with the Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) held a meeting at its party office in Delhi today.
The Politburo meeting is expected to strategize on the Lok Sabha elections and discuss its party candidates for all Lok Sabha seats across the country.
"Every party is free to decide how they want to proceed with the elections. Now that the Trinamool Congress has made it clear that they are going to fight alone, we INDIA parties need to take a call and decide how to respond. We are prepared. In Bengal, the CPIM is prepared that we will go with all secular forces there who are prepared to come together to defeat the BJP and the Trinamool Congress," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said, speaking to reporters on Mamata Banerjee's decision to contest solo in West Bengal.
Speaking on the possibility of striking an alliance with the Congress for West Bengal as they had done in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Yechury said that the Congress "appears to be waiting" for the Trinamool Congress for "some opening."
"That (seat-sharing talks with Congress) will now be worked out. It depends on the Congress what they are doing. Congress appears to be waiting for some opening with the TMC. But I think the TMC has closed all the doors," the CPI(M) leader said.
On seat-sharing between the alliance partners, Yechury said, "We will start discussions today and it will continue till the election dates are announced."
Notably, the CPI-M has announced its Lok Sabha candidates for Wayanad, Thiruvananthapuram, Mavelikkara, and Thrissur in Kerala. The CPI-M and the Congress are expected to see a tough fight in Wayanad, where the CPI-M has pitted Annie Raja against Rahul Gandhi.
The INDIA bloc suffered a major blow when Mamata Banerjee, considered to be a strong player in the INDIA bloc, announced that her party would be fighting the Lok Sabha polls alone in West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee also stayed out of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra when it passed through the state, which allowed the BJP to point out that the opposition bloc is in tatters in West Bengal.
The CPI(M) has also moved a contempt petition against the State Bank of India (SBI) for not disclosing donor details in the electoral bonds case.
"The SBI disregarded the directions of the court. Till the last day, they kept quiet and then they moved an application seeking more time which is not necessary. Everybody who is involved in the implementation of the electoral bond, including the former Finance Secretary has said that within a couple of hours, the SBI can provide all the information. We think it is a direct case of contempt of court and so the court must seriously consider it," Yechury said.
On the Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigning from the post ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Yechury said, "This is very perplexing and disturbing. On the eve of the General Elections, for the Election Commission to resign, without giving any reason, and the fact that it was accepted so promptly also shows that something is going on, which is not healthy for a free and fair election."