Cracks in INDIA alliance; CPIM Refuses Seat Sharing In Bengal & Kerala

New Delhi, Sept 18: The CPI-M has chosen to abstain from forming alliances in West Bengal and Kerala, where its primary adversaries are the INDIA coalition members -- Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool and the Congress.

The CPI-M's decision to maintain a certain distance from "both the BJP and the Trinamool" in Bengal has laid bare the fractures within the opposition alliance, which seeks to unite to thwart the BJP in the upcoming national elections next year.

The decision was reached during a meeting of the CPI-M's politburo in Delhi over the past weekend, to avert the splitting of opposition votes.

Politburo member Nilotpal Basu, a former Rajya Sabha member, clarified that the decision "does not rule out the possibility of allying." He acknowledged the existence of differences within the INDIA Bloc, stating, "There are differences."

"Before the Bengaluru INDIA bloc meeting, Sitaram Yechury made it clear that in West Bengal, we believe the contest will be against both the BJP and Trinamool, while in Kerala, there will be a battle between UDF and LDF. Electorally, adjustments can only be made at the state level, not at the national level," he explained.

Mr. Basu also defended the choice to stay away from the INDIA coordination committee, asserting that any organizational framework within INDIA would obstruct the expansion of the coalition.

Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to be troubled by the Left's decision, given her clear discomfort with the notion of sharing a stage with Left leaders.

The official statement from the CPI-M politburo after the meeting did not explicitly detail these decisions. On record, it expressed the commitment to work toward the consolidation and expansion of the alliance.