Left's declining electoral strength a major concern, hopeful of revival: CPI's D Raja

In an interview to PTI Videos, Raja said his party would soon decide its stand on whom to support in Tamil Nadu, and warned that the BJP forming a government in West Bengal posed challenges not just for the state but for the entire country.

The depletion in the electoral strength of Left parties is a matter of concern, CPI General Secretary D Raja said on Friday, expressing hope that it revives and re-emerges as a significant political force in the future. In an interview to PTI Videos, Raja said his party would soon decide its stand on whom to support in Tamil Nadu, and warned that the BJP forming a government in West Bengal posed challenges not just for the state but for the entire country. ''It is ironic that the BJP has formed the government for the first time in Bengal. This poses many challenges, not only to Bengal but for the whole country. How the Left is going to take up these challenges, that is before us,'' Raja told PTI. ''We are discussing and we hope that the Left will revive itself and re-emerge as a force to be reckoned with in the country and in Bengal. The Left will emerge as a force to reshape the political course of Bengal as well as the country. That is what we are hoping for,'' he said. The veteran Left leader said the parties would have to ''work hard'', reach out to the people and strengthen their ''class and mass organisations'', noting that a reasonable presence in state assemblies and Parliament is necessary in a parliamentary democracy. ''We lost even Kerala, and now the Left is nowhere in any government. This is a major concern for our party, CPI, as well as the entire Left. We are discussing and we will work out our strategy and tactics in the coming days for the future,'' he said. Asked about Tamil Nadu, where political equations appear to be shifting as the TVK has emerged as the single largest party but has not yet been invited to form the government, Raja said, ''We have made it very clear - the Left parties CPI, CPI(M) and also the VCK in Tamil Nadu - all have demanded that the larger mandate is for TVK.'' ''The governor should invite the single largest party and that government must be allowed to prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly, not in the halls or corridors of the governor's residence,'' he said. He stressed that the governor should invite TVK to form the government and follow ''established practices and conventions.'' Asked if the CPI, which has two MLAs in Tamil Nadu, would support the TVK, Raja said, ''This is what we are discussing. Formally it will be decided. We have called the meeting.'' The CPI leader added, ''Today the state executive of our party is meeting in Tamil Nadu. They are discussing this issue. We will come to some conclusion and we want a stable government that will work in the interest of the state, keep away communal right-wing forces and uphold secular democratic values.'' He said the party's position would be clear by the evening.