Elections 99 : Left Front: An Uneasy Quartet

The Left Front is an uneven foursome, with the Forward Bloc and the RSP only taking a ride in the vintage carriage of doctrinaire Marxism. The CPI has a place on the saddle of the coach horse, but it is the CPI(M) that holds the reins.

THE INHERITORS

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya
His rise from the ranks to No. 2 position in the Jyoti Basu Cabinet was facilitated by his excellent networking with Bengal's cultural elite and his quickness to shift loyalty from former state party chief Promode Dasgupta to Basu after Dasgupta's death is likely to replace Basu when the time comes. But he cannot match the chief minister's mass appeal.

Pinarayi Vijayan
CPI(M)'s Kerala unit chief is a tough-talking no-nonsense man. Though in the V.S. Achutanandan cam, he has become a forceful power-centre in the party. Has enough guts and vim to challenge VS for chief minisrership after Nayanar and for leading the party in his own way. That is, if the Marxists can hold their control at the top of the state's caste and communal pyramid.

Manik Sarkar
At 47, lucky for his sudden elevation as chief minister of Tripura following the demise of the state's two Marxist stalwarts, Nripen Chakraborty and Dasarath Deb. Already a member of the CPI(M) politburo-Bhatacharya is still not one-he is the partyman of the highest stature in the country's predominantly tribal frontier where the Congress is losing its hold.

In Tripura, the strength of the CPI(M)'s partners is sub-marginal. In Kerala, the CPI has a minor presence, the RSP is smaller and is getting further atomised while the Forward Bloc is non-existent. In West Bengal, the CPI(M)'s fellow travellers, with around 10 per cent of votes in the state, have traditionally given the front its leading edge over the Congress, and now, over the Trinamool-BJP combine. But it is doubtful if the non-CPI(M) members could win any of the nine seats that went to them in West Bengal in the 1998 polls (in addition to the CPI(M)'s 24) without the Marxists' help. As a CPI(M) ideologue in the state says, "In the panchayat elections, where the front partners slug it out among themselves in many places, they have a much higher casualty rate than us."

However, the CPI(M)'s dominance in the Left Front came under threat only recently, following the defeat of the BJP-led government in the Lok Sabha in April. In the suspenseful days till the dissolution of the House, the RSP and the Forward Bloc announced that they would not support a Congress-led government because, in their demonology, there was little difference between the BJP and the Congress. With seven MPs, the two parties held to ransom the CPI(M) and the CPI, who were keen to put Sonia Gandhi in the prime minister's chair.

"The RSP and Forward Bloc yielded to persuasion and said they'd support the Congress bid for power if the BJP could return to power by their not doing so," says A.B. Bardhan, CPI general secretary . However, the two smaller partners still clamour for "equidistance", and grumble about the CPI(M)'s hegemonism even in their party documents. Anxious that the Forward Bloc and RSP may strike again, the CPI(M) is trying to grab RSP's lone seat of Kollam in Kerala. In the new Lok Sabha, Big Brother must not hear dissenting voices within the family.

RSP's REVOLT
"The dominating tendencies of the CPI(M) ... are posing serious problems to the participative functioning of the Left Front ... Many major decisions are being taken bypassing the Left Front committee meetings."

This was the draft resolution of the RSP's 15th National Congress held in Kerala last year. Its adoption was stalled by a split in the party. But the residual elements continue to be forthright against the CPI(M). In West Bengal, there have been clashes between the parties on land issues. "Many of the deposed landlords (sought) refuge in the CPI(M)," says the RSP resolution.

VOTE CATCHERS
E.K. Nayanar
Kerala chief minister and most effective crowd puller. Has a clean image, with an enormous sense of humour. Does not do much in formulating strategies, on which Achutanandan has the last word.
Subhash Chakravarty
The only Marxist after Basu whose image is larger than his party. Now under attack from local bosses, he's sending out desperate signals, like meeting P.A. Sangma of NCP.

POLL STRATEGY
WEST BENGAL: The CPI(M) and CPI are soft on Congress but are cautious not to show it for the fear of anti-left votes getting entirely deflected to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and the BJP. The front may lose more seats than in 1998 if Congress vote-share slides further from 15.2 per cent. Marxist leaders are also focussing on alleged exodus of anti-socials from Congress to Trinamool.
KERALA: The RSP led by K. Pankajakshan unwilling to toe the Marxists' pro-Congress line, the CPI(M) is averse to give it a ticket. CPI(M)-CPI ties are strong.
TRIPURA: Walkover for the CPI(M) as anti-left votes are split between Congress and BJP.

MARXISTS ON SONIA
"I always thought that she was a good housewife, nothing more."
Jyoti Basu, 1998

"We had no problem with Sonia as prime minister. Only Mulayam Singh Yadav had a problem."
A.B. Bardhan, 1999

"Who leads the Congress is its own matter. We support it because the BJP is much worse."
H.S. Surjeet, 1999

NUMBERS GAME
West Bengal
The CPI(M)'s 35.41 per cent votes (in 1998 general elections), added with the CPI (3.64 per cent), the FB (3.3 per cent) and the RSP (4.84 per cent), are pitted against the Trinamool (24.43 per cent) and the BJP (10.2 per cent) on one hand, and the Congress (15.2 per cent) on the other. The Left has a low index of opposition unity working in its favour. Despite that, it lost in nine out of the state's 42 seats. If the Congress support plummets further, it could have problems in 10 more seats.
Kerala
The Left managed to win eight of the 20 seats because the BJP took away a good 8 per cent of the anti-Left votes. However, Muslim support to the Congress ensures that BJP can't make further inroads. If the BJP cuts a lower profile this time round, the Left may have problems.

TWISTS AND TURNS
1977: Janata Party, which includes BJP's ancestor Jan Sangh, supports Marxists.
1989: Both BJP and the Left Front support the government led by V.P. Singh.
1996-99: Terming the BJP "further right", CPI(M) garners support for Congress.

VALUES
Economy: Totally opposed to globalisation and lifting of state control.
Foreign Policy: Oppose what they feel is a pro-US tilt in Indian policy.
Secularism: Believe that India's unity rests on the separation of religion from politics.