Talks with Grand Alliance fail, CPI(ML) to contest 30 seats in phase one

All efforts to rope in the CPI-ML

in the RJD-led Grand Alliance in Bihar seem to have failed, with the left-wing party on Wednesday announcing that it would contest 30 of the 71 seats which would go to polls during the first phase of Assembly elections on October 28.

In a statement, CPI-ML state secretary Kunal said several rounds of talks were held with the RJD, which spearheads the Grand Alliance, but no amicable solution was reached.

The Grand Alliance, also comprising the Congress and the Vikassheel Insaan Party, is yet to release details of its seat-sharing arrangement for the polls.

Kunal said that the CPI(ML) had even agreed to pare its demand to 20 tickets, but the RJD refused to offer seats where the left-wing party held sway, such as Aurangabad, Buxar, Gaya and Nalanda.

"Under such circumstances, the CPI(ML) decided to issue its first list of 30 seats which it would contest on October 28," the statement signed by the party's office secretary, Kunal Parvez, said.

Among the 30 Assembly seats that the party has named are Paliganj, Sandesh, Masaurhi, Phulwarisharif, Arrah, Ghosi, Hilsa and Kurtha.

The opposition Grand Alliance has, over the past few weeks, lost two of its allies -- Hindustani Awam Morcha of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and RLSP of former union minister Upendra Kushwaha. The coalition had pinned hopes on Left parties -- CPI, CPM and CPI-ML.

Currently, the CPI(ML) has three MLAs in the outgoing Assembly. The party enjoys considerable support in parts of central Bihar.

Assembly polls will be held in three phases in Bihar

on October 28, November 3 and November 7. The results will be declared on November 10.