CPI(M) leader MA Baby calls for unified Grand Alliance strategy to defeat BJP in Bihar
With political activity heating up ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, M.A. Baby, the newly appointed National General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), arrived in Patna on Monday. His visit is seen as a significant push by the Left to invigorate the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance).
This marks Baby's first visit to Bihar in his new role.
Speaking to reporters at Patna Airport, he emphasised the need for a coordinated opposition strategy.
'There will be discussions with our party leaders on how to defeat the BJP in Bihar and how to strengthen the Mahagathbandhan in the upcoming crucial election. We will share the outcome of these discussions with the media,' he said.
His visit coincides with a nationwide agitation planned by the Left parties, including a Bharat Bandh on May 20 in support of workers' rights. The bandh is being positioned as both a protest and a political demonstration of the Grand Alliance's unity and resolve.
At a Mahagathbandhan meeting on Sunday, CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya affirmed support for the bandh.
'May 20 will be a day for workers' rights, and all constituents of the Mahagathbandhan will stand together. It will also be a show of unity ahead of the elections,' he said.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav echoed the sentiment: 'We will take to the streets to express our protest.'
Bihar Congress Legislature Party leader Dr Shakeel Ahmad Khan strongly criticised both the Centre and the Bihar state government, describing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's policies as 'anti-people.'
He urged Mahagathbandhan parties to mount widespread public campaigns to highlight governance failures.
Vikasheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani stressed the importance of cohesion. 'All Grand Alliance parties must focus on unity, build a common manifesto, and run a coordinated, strategic campaign to defeat the NDA, he said.'
The developments signal a renewed attempt by the opposition to build momentum in Bihar, with the Left looking to play a more central role in shaping the alliance's roadmap. M.A. Baby's presence underlines the CPI(M)'s intent to help steer a unified front ahead of the elections.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
CPI(M) calls for all-party meet on modalities of census
CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby on Friday (June 6, 2025) urged the Union Government to convene an all-party meeting to address the apprehensions of several States on the possibility of losing representation in the Lok Sabha because of the delimitation expected to be held on the basis of the upcoming general Census. The first meeting of the new #CPIM Central Committee was held from June 3-5. It has issued the following communique: — CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) June 6, 2025 Mr. Baby was addressing a press conference in Delhi, at the conclusion of the first meeting of the newly elected Central Committee of the party. 'The Central government, after deliberate and inordinate delay, was finally forced to announce that it will conduct the general Census in 2027 and along with it, the caste census. Various apprehensions are being expressed, especially by the southern States about the intentions of the government, about the modalities it intends to follow and whether they will lose representation. The government should immediately convene an all party meeting and discuss these issues,' Mr. Baby said. Mr. Baby also informed that the CPI(M) would hold a week-long campaign against terrorism in June, besides sending a delegation led by him next week. The other members of the delegation include Lok Sabha members Amra Ram, K. Radhakrishnan and Su Venkatesan, and Rajya Sabha members John Brittas, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya and A.A. Rahim. Mr. Baby criticised the government's assertion that with Operation Sindoor, it had established a 'new normal' where every terror attack against India would be deemed an attack by Pakistan. He said, 'This means that India-Pak relations will now be dictated by terrorists.' This approach, he said, would only fuel jingoism, strengthen extremist forces on both sides of the border and further widen the communal divide. The Left party said it would hold programmes 'in defence of democracy' to mark 50 years of the declaration of Emergency, adding that the occasion would be used to 'expose the dubious role of the RSS during Emergency'. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the central committee of the CPI(M) held in the national capital from June 3-5.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Kerala government's Bakrid holiday shift sparks political row; IUML accuses Left of communal agenda
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government's decision to change Bakrid holiday triggered a political row in the state on Friday with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) accusing it of attempting to implement "communal agenda and fascism" in the state. Originally Friday (June 6) was marked as holiday for Bakrid. However, following the reports that the festival would be celebrated on Saturday across the state, on Thursday, the Kerala government announced that Saturday, June 7, will be a public holiday for Bakrid. As per the change, government also declared that June 6 (Friday) would be a regular working day. Officials, in a statement, said the change was made to ensure the holiday aligns with the actual date of celebration observed by the people. However, IUML and a few Muslim outfits criticised the government's move to change the holiday. Responding to these criticisms, government on Thursday night, announced that all educational institutions, including profesional colleges, would be closed on Friday. However, it failed to pacify the ruffled feathers. IUML, the second largest coalition partner in the Congress-led UDF, said though Friday was declared a public holiday earlier, the Left government cancelled it for no reason. The government's act was amounted to provoke the minority community, senior IUML leader P M A Salam charged. "The Left (government) is attempting to implement more communalism and fascism than the BJP and the Sangh Parivar in the state," he alleged in a TV channel.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Political row brews over Bakrid holiday in Kerala
The Kerala government's decision to change Bakrid holiday triggered a political row in the State on Friday (June 6, 2025) with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) accusing it of attempting to implement "communal agenda and fascism" in the State. Originally, Friday (June 6) was marked as holiday for Bakrid. However, following the reports that the festival would be celebrated on Saturday across the State, on Thursday, the Kerala government announced that Saturday, June 7, will be a public holiday for Bakrid. As per the change, government also declared that June 6 (Friday) would be a regular working day. Officials, in a statement, said the change was made to ensure the holiday aligns with the actual date of celebration observed by the people. However, IUML and a few Muslim outfits criticised the government's move to change the holiday. Responding to these criticisms, the government on Thursday night, announced that all educational institutions, including professional colleges, would be closed on Friday. However, it failed to pacify the ruffled feathers. IUML, the second largest coalition partner in the Congress-led UDF, said though Friday was declared a public holiday earlier, the Left government cancelled it for no reason. The government's act was amounted to provoke the minority community, senior IUML leader P.M.A Salam charged. "The Left (government) is attempting to implement more communalism and fascism than the BJP and the Sangh Parivar in the State," he alleged in a TV channel. However, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty strongly rejected the charges and said the government had shown reluctance in changing the holiday. He said the government took only some time to think and take a decision as there was change in the festival schedule. "After consulting with the Chief Minister, Friday was declared a holiday by 7.30 pm on Thursday. There is no need for any sorrow or protest on that. However, the opposition is trying to take political mileage over the matter," Mr. Sivankutty told reporters here. He also accused the Opposition of 'politicising even trivial matters.' CPI(M) leader and the party candidate in Nilambur bypoll, M. Swaraj, also shared similar views and said such controversies do not deserve even a reply. He alleged that the row over the holiday on account of the Muslim community's festival was an attempt to mislead the ongoing campaign for the June 19 bypoll. "An election is generally an occasion or platform to discuss healthy and democratic debates, discussions on development and the policies of the government but the opposition has been trying to mislead it and mix up communal venom in it since the beginning," he told reporters in Malappuram. He also accused the Congress-UDF of trying to create controversies out of void.
