Jharkhand Left parties for total unity

Though the Left parties retained the status quo by winning two seats in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, its leaders were thinking of making serious efforts in forging total unity among themselves.
"I don't agree that Left support base has been reduced but I agree that the Left has failed to provide a united and alternative policy to the people in the face of unstable governments in Jharkhand," CPI(M) state unit secretary G K Bakshi said.
"In some areas the support base has increased while in other areas it did not happen. So, we have to think seriously about Left unity," he added.

The CPI, however, said the Left's support base has dwindled and blamed it on CPI-ML-liberation for its "perennially opposing thoughts" that prevented a total Left unity.
"There is unity between CPI and CPI(M). But the CPI-ML-Liberation has a wrong notion about the unity effort," said Khagendra Thakur, a member of the CPI's National Council and the party's state executive committee.
CPI-ML-Liberation leader Vinod Singh denied Thakur's contention and alleged that the CPI and CPI(M) have always gone with parties like RJD.

"What we say is first work on Left unity, and then decide about alliance with non-Left parties. But CPI and CPI(M) do the opposite. They first go with other parties and then talk about Left unity," Singh said.

Singh first won from Bagodar seat in 2005 Assembly elections after his three-time MLA father Mahendra Prasad Singh was shot dead allegedly by Maoists that year. He retained the seat in 2009 but, lost this time.
"I lost narrowly, but our candidate Raj Kumar Yadav defeated former chief minister and JVM(P) candidate Babulal Marandi from Dhanwar. So CPI-ML-Liberation presence in the Assembly continues," Singh added.
Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) leader Arup Chatterjee wondered how Left unity could be forged when CPI (ML-Liberation) and CPI(M) put up candidates without knowing the ground realities.
CPI(ML-Liberation) has put up candidate at Nirsa and both CPI(M) and Liberation fielded nominees in Nirsa at Sindri. MCC has its candidates at both the constituencies.

Chatterjee, who retained Nirsa by a narrow margin of 1035 votes, said, "Had there been Left unity, the MCC would have also won from Sindri as our candidate Anand Mahato lost narrowly. So, we should seriously decide on Left unity."
CPI-ML-Liberation and the MCC had one MLA each in the outgoing House.