Lok Sabha Elections 2024: In a major blow to the Opposition’s rainbow coalition INDI alliance, the left partner- Communist Party of India has parted way with the alliance and has declared to go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This comes after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee snubbed the INDI alliance, declaring candidates for all the 42 Lok Sabha seats. 

The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday announced that it will contest  in eight of the 14 Lok Sabha seats of Jharkhand  in the upcoming elections."We have decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls on our own," CPI state secretary Mahendra Pathak said. 

The CPI has no representation in the Lower House of Parliament from Jharkhand.

Why CPI Decided To Part Ways With INDI? 

The CPI said that it decided to go solo as the Opposition alliance was delaying the talks on seat-sharing arrangement. "The BJP has announced its candidates, but the Congress and the 'Mahagathbandhan' have not yet held any talks on seat-sharing. So, we have decided to go solo," said the CPI Jharkhand secretary. 

The CPI will field its candidates in Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Koderma, Chatra, Palamu, Giridih, Dumka and Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituencies. The party is likely to announce names of the candidates after March 16. 

INDI Responds to CPI’s Decision 

CPI’s decision has acted as another shocker to the INDI alliance. CPI General Secretary D Raja was seen along with the INDI leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav  at the 'Jan Vishwas Rally' in Patna on March 3. 

 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which leads the ruling coalition in Jharkhand, said such a decision by the CPI state unit raises questions over discipline within the party. "It is beyond my understanding if the state unit can take such decisions. Discussions on seat-sharing are already underway at the national level,” JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said.

How Numbers Stack Up in Jharkhand 

Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP has 11, AJSU party one, JMM one and the Congress has one. However, the Congress' lone MP Geeta Kora recently shifted to the BJP.

In the state assembly, the scene is completely opposite with the ruling alliance having a majority.. The JMM has 29 MLAs, the Congress has 17 and the RJD has one. 

(With Agency Inputs)