The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)(CPI-M) have issued statements concerning the victory of BJP in the state of Uttar Pradesh last week.
ICP, 15 March 2017
The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M)have issued statements concerning the victory of BJP, the party in power, in the state of Uttar Pradesh last week, albeit its anti-people policies.
The results of the election in Uttar Pradesh giving around 75 percent to BJP, was expressed as a 'big setback to secular and democratic forces in the country' in the statement of Central Secretariat of the CPI. According to the statement, the results might cause further problems with more anti-people policies by government and intolerance and communal offensive by Hindutva forces.
In the statement issued on March 11, 2017, the CS of the CPI named the election result as 'a victory to communalism'. The CS of CPI pointed out that Modi seemed to be 'successful in making the people to believe that demonetisation was against the black money and rich, though it is otherwise.' The CPI called for an awakening of the 'left democratic, secular forces in the country to forge broader unity to fight back the attacks on peoples, and offensive of communal forces in the country.'
On March 13, 2017 the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) also assessed the election result as a 'sweeping victory' of BJP, 'accomplished by mix of rank communal appeal and by putting together a wide ranging caste coalition'. While acknowledging the massive mandate that the BJP received, the PB of the CPI(M) pointed out the defeats of BJP in other states such as Goa and Punjab.
Uttar Pradesh is known as the most populous state in the Republic of India and represents the general political inclination throughout the country. The elections were commented as 'a decline of the Congress' in mainstream party politics, while, also in the elections of the state of Kerala, where the communists are predominant, the BJP for the first time was reported to have won a single seat.