After BSP, the CPI has entered into an alliance with Ajit Jogi’s Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) for the upcoming assembly polls in the state. The announcement was made in a joint press conference attended by Ajit Jogi and CPI leaders in Raipur on Sunday.
CPI state secretary R D C P Rao said, “The aim of the alliance is to form a government which will work in the interest of Dalits, Adivasis, the poor, villagers, farmers, laborers and minorities, and take decisions for the welfare of the people of Chhattisgarh”. Ajit Jogi is also confident of the alliance and said the addition of CPI to the JCC (J)-BSP alliance has made it a “mahagathbandhan” (grand alliance), further strengthening its poll prospects in the Bastar region and in places with a high number of laborers.
Earlier, according to the BSP-JCC (J) pre-poll alliance agreement BSP was going to contest on 35 seats, while the JCCJ was to fight from 55 seats in the 90-member Assembly. However, in the wake of recent developments, two seats from BSP’s share has been transferred to CPI.
JCC(J) leader Nitin Bhansali said, “ The CPI has a very strong presence in Bastar. They also have a connection with Dalits and laborers. We will partner with CPI for two seats in the region, Dantewada and Konta”.
CPI secretary RDCP Rao also said his party had a significant presence in the Bastar region, especially in Dantewada and Konta, from where it has fielded its popular leaders Nandaram Sodhi and Manish Kunjam respectively for the upcoming polls. While Kunjam has been a two-time MLA from Sukma, Sori had won the Dantewada seat once in the past. However, in the 2013 Assembly polls, the CPI had lost in all the 13 seats it had contested garnering just 0.66 percent of the vote share.
Under the Grand alliance agreement of CPI and JCC(J)-BSP, the latter will support CPI candidates in Konta and Dantewada, while the CPI and affiliated labor unions will campaign for the BSP and JCC(J) candidates in Chitrakoot and Bijapur in Bastar division and in industrial areas like Korba and Bhilai Nagar, Rao said.
The alliance of Ajit Jogi’s party with BSP and CPI is looking forward to toppling the BJP government in the state which has been in power since 15 years.
The Chhattisgarh Assembly polls will be held in two phases-on November 12 and 20. Counting of votes will take place on December 11.