After working together for decades, Left parties in Andhra Pradesh are all set to part ways due to rifts between them over a number of issues, including that of Telangana.
For the first time in Andhra Pradesh’s history, the 2014 general election might see the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) in opposite political camps.
The Telangana statehood issue saw the two parties taking diagonally opposite stands.
While the CPI has been steadfastly supporting the demand for a separate Telangana state, the CPM strongly opposed the state’s bifurcation on the ground that such a move may lead to similar demands across the country.
This is the first time that the Left parties have differed on a major political issue.Volatile dynamics
The gulf between the two communist parties was further widened after their top leaders gave each other a tongue-lashing over their potential electoral allies.
State CPI unit Secretary K Narayana has alleged that the CPM has been having “secret talks” with the YSR Congress Party, which is headed by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, for a tie-up in the next Assembly elections, scheduled for April or May next year.
His CPM counterpart B V Raghavulu retaliated, accusing the CPI of making ideological compromises on several issues.
Both communist parties have been, over years, facing a steady erosion of their support base in the state.
In the 294-member Assembly, the CPI has four MLAs while the CPM has a lone representative.
The Left parties were part of “Maha Kootami” (grand alliance), comprising the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the 2009 elections.
However, with changing political dynamics, the Left parties have had a fall out with the TRS.
While the CPI maintains a cordial relationship with the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP, the CPM has distanced itself from the opposition party after differences cropped up between them on various issues.
In efforts to break new ground, the Marxists seem to have kept their door open for a possible understanding with the fledgling YSR Congress Party, a move that has angered the CPI.
According to an assessment by CPM leaders, Jagan could emerge as a more effective alternative to the Congress in Andhra Pradesh.