INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
New Delhi: With the three Left parties bagging 13 seats and leading in three others in Bihar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury
warned naysayers against writing them off, saying they would have notched up higher numbers in the elections had they been given more
seats.As of 11.50 pm, the CPI(ML) had won nine of the 19 seats they fought on and were leading in three others
seats in the Bihar Assembly elections."We were clear from the beginning that we have to defeat the BJP
Our strike rate in Bihar is 80 per cent and if we had been given more seats, we would have contributed more to the gathbandhan tally,"
Yechury told PTI."Our alliance with the RJD and Congress combined issues of social justice with that of economic justice
One cannot be achieved without the other," he said.Many in the party had questioned RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav over what they called
"disproportionate concessions to the Left, particularly to the CPI(ML)"
However, the calculations triggered by the state's socio-political dynamics and the cadre strength of the Left parties seem to have
of what our strike rate has been in Bihar
No one has that strike rate
The Left is a necessity for Indian democracy," Yechury said.He said the Left parties "provided legitimacy" to the grand alliance to fight
the BJP."We have been the most consistent with our demand for the rights of the people
The red flag has withstood the test of time, despite election results.""We did not want the BJP in government
raised concerns over the delay in declaring winning candidates and said he suspected foul play."Having declared the winner, how can things
change? The 31st round is the last round
The EC has to come clean on this," he said.
