Left parties to contest from Koderma, H'bag and Rajmahal

Dhanbad: The Left parties will contest three of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand. “The Left Front has decided to contest three seats — CPI(M) from Rajmahal , CPI from Hazaribag and CPI (ML-Liberation) from Koderma ,” CPI(M) Jharkhand unit secretary G K Bakshi told reporters here on Wednesday.

He said the CPI(M) state committee would endorse the decision in its meeting on Friday in Ranchi.

“The aim of the CPI(M) is to defeat BJP, get the maximum number of Left candidates elected and ensure formation of a secular government,” Bakshi said. He also said that the Left parties will support strong opposition candidates elsewhere.

“CPI(M) has always supported former MP A K Roy as well as MCC from Dhanbad seat. So if MCC fields a candidate from Dhanbad, it would be the fourth seat of Left Front,” Bakshi added. MCC MLA Arup Chatterjee said there will be two meetings of the party’s central committee to decide on contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

The CPI (ML-Liberation) was not an alliance partner of the Left Front during the 2014 Lok Sabha election. In the last general elections, while the CPI (ML-Liberation) contested six seats, CPI(M) fielded candidates in five constituencies and the CPI in three. agencies