There was never a sluggish election in Bihar. But at the end of this year, the visitors have ensured their place in history, before it comes in the way.

If all the discussions in Maharashtra were about the pure joint of about 40 lakh voters in the state between the Lok Sabha elections (in May 2024) and the state assembly elections (in November the same year), Bihar is a big conversation ahead of 2025.

Sir exercise – which has become a real test of citizenship – has not only panicked voters and most parties, but has also abducted about the issues of governance and campaign that dominate the media cycle before the election. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta Figured out Dipankar BhattacharyaLiberation to get his views on what is next in India’s general secretary Block Partner CPI (ML) Mukti Bihar. Part:

Let’s start the left. In West Bengal, after 34 years in power, now there is no MLA. Even in Tripura, it has lost land. What does the future look like – and why is optimism about your party in Bihar?

People often judge the left to the left, but it is a narrow approach. In Bihar, our electoral performance was not always notable, but for more than 25 years, we have been tirelessly effort on the ground – organizing such movements that often do not pay attention to anyone.

In West Bengal, the crisis, where the Left is not an MLA, stems from mistakes such as Singur and Nandigram’s misunderstanding. If the CPI (M) was not so rigid, the situation may be different.

These are local issues; It is not an indication that the leftists have become irrelevant across India. When you label Narendra Modi or other critics as ‘urban Naxal’, ‘Maoists’ or ‘extremists’, they are essentially targeting leftists. At its core, the leftists speak the truth for power, stand with people and fight against partition and hatred.

In today’s climate, I would say that the leftist is more relevant than ever. If we can lead the fight for democracy, we have a promising future.

Your party is part of the India block, which features Congress, RJD and other Left parties. In the past, you are also associated with Nitish Kumar’s JD (U), who left the so -called Mahagathan (Grand Alliance) Second time in January 2024. How do you see Nitish’s change, and what is your strategy within India?

Nitish Kumar has a famous history of switching aspects. For us, a focus has been on strengthening the (INDI) alliance to challenge the BJP’s divisive stories and policies. The purpose of our alliance with RJD, Congress and others is to unite people around issues like justice and equality, combating the BJP’s agenda.

Nitish earned Monikar ‘Susan Babu’ for policies like prohibition, which was particularly supported among women …

Nitish Kumar’s policies are inconsistent. Before prohibition, he established liquor outlets in every village and panchayat. This argument was then revenue, which he claimed that he would fund welfare programs like bicycles for girls. When he became a backfier, he picked up for the championing prohibition.

Caste is a major factor in Bihar, perhaps more than other states. Your party represents groups of extremely backward classes (EBCs), Mahadalits and other margins.

How will caste dynamics shape the upcoming elections, especially with non-yedt OBCs?

Caste affects politics across India, but is usually seen as a major feature in Bihar. Many people believe that caste is stable, but it develops. For example, in 1999, our Comrade Rameshwar Prasad, from Nonia Caste (an EBC), won in Araha, a stronghold of major castes. It has been shown that EBCs can break through.

Caste equations shift over time, and our party focuses on uniting people in castes to fight for wide issues such as social justice and equality rather than strengthening the division of caste.

Some criticize CPI (ML) for not enough for Muslims. What role Muslims play in your strategy, and do you support the inclusion of AIMIM in India’s block?

We want Muslims to be active leaders and equal partners in our movement – as they were during India’s freedom struggle. Muslims quickly saw their voting rights threatened, now other people are awake. We aim to increase Muslim participation in our party, not only as voters but also as equal stakeholders.

Regarding AIMIM, their inclusion in India BLOC depends on extensive coalition discussions, but our focus is on the inclusive participation of all communities. We want Muslims to be active leaders and equal partners in our movement – as they were during India’s freedom struggle.

Muslims quickly saw their voting rights threatened, now other people are awake. We aim to increase Muslim participation in our party, not only as voters but also as equal stakeholders. Regarding AIMIM, their inclusion in India BLOC depends on extensive coalition discussions, but our focus is on the inclusive participation of all communities.

In 2020, CPI (ML) fielded 19 candidates and won 12 seats. This time, you are asking for 40 candidates. Is he not ambitious? Will RJD and Congress agree?

In 2020, we contested from 19, won 12. Bihar has 38 districts, and we have a strong base in 25-year, with long-standing movements and organizations.

Our strategy is to field candidates where it strengthens (INDI) alliance. In 2020 and 2024, areas where we contested, also saw strong performances for RJD and Congress. By contesting elections in 24 districts – covering North, South, Kosi and Mithila regions – our aim is to promote the overall success of the coalition. We initially considered 50 seats, but settled at 40 after discussing their goals with the dynamics of the coalition.

In Maharashtra, voter lists were reportedly manipulated, adding more voters in five months than four years. There is a concern that the BJP excels in micro -level election management. Will Bihar face similar issues with Sir?

Bihar will oppose. We have challenged feudal control over elections since the 1980s. Earlier, people were prevented from voting, even though their names were shown in the voter list. Now, the manipulation targets the voter list directly.

In Maharashtra, people reacted only after the loss. People here have been protesting in villages and cities since 25 June (when he went to Sir).

In August, a movement against ‘Election Theft’ is planned, which tells those who rigged the voter role. Bihar will not be silent – it will fight back against this ‘aggressive reconstruction’ of the voter list, this detailed conspiracy to remove the poor of ‘universal adult suffrage’, is the only means to fight corporate loot of this land.

It is an edited transcript of video interview available on YouTube in Paranjoy online