Left Front (West Bengal): Difference between revisions

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The '''Left Front''' ({{lang-bn|বাম ফ্রন্ট}}; {{transliteration|bn|baam front}}) is an alliance of political parties in the Indian state of [[West Bengal]]. It was formed in January 1977, the founding parties being the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]], [[All India Forward Bloc]], the [[Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)|Revolutionary Socialist Party]], the [[Marxist Forward Bloc]], the [[Revolutionary Communist Party of India]] and the [[Biplabi Bangla Congress]]. Other parties joined in later years, most notably the [[Communist Party of India]].

In the initial phase of Left Front governance, two key priorities were [[land reform]] and decentralisation of administration.<ref name=bud/><ref name=pra>''People's Democracy''. ''[http://archives.peoplesdemocracy.in/2006/0625/06252006_prakash.htm West Bengal Left Front Govt: A Historic Anniversary]''</ref> On 29 September 1977 the West Bengal Land (Amendment) Bill was passed.<ref name=ht/> Through  Operation Barga was done under the Leadership of [[Hare Krishna Konar]] and [[Benoy Choudhury]], in which share-croppers were given inheritable rights on lands they tilled, 1.1 million acres of land was distributed amongst 1.4 million share-croppers.<ref name=nlr/><ref name="Chakrabarty2014">{{cite book|author=Bidyut Chakrabarty|title=Left Radicalism in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R0xWBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA107|date=13 November 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-66805-3|page=107}}</ref> On 4 June 1978 three-tier [[panchayat]] local bodies were elected across the state, elections in which the Left Front won a landslide victory.<ref name=bud/><ref name=ht/> Some 800,000 acres of land were distributed to 1.5 million heads of households between 1978 and 1982.<ref name=nlr/> The Left Front government was also credited with coping with the refugee situation created by the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] and severe floods.<ref name="Chander2004"/>

The Left Front won 238 out of 294 seats in the election.<ref name="Chander2004"/> CPI(M) won 174 seats, CPI 7 seats, AIFB 28 seats, RSP 19 seats, WBSP 4 seats, DSP 2 seats, RCPI 2 seats, MFB 2 seats.<ref name=s1982/><!-- A bit of [[BP:OR]], but it appears that amongst the Left Front candidates winning their elections on independent symbols were  

One point that needs to be clarified is if any candidate in Darjeeling was supported by LF, possibly the runner-up ABGL candidate might have been endorsed by LF, but no BP:RS found that indicates such a support. Chander (2004) states that LF won 246 seats, but that would have to include the JD seat and the Darjeeling seat, which was won by Ghishing (GNLF an enemy of CPI(M)).

CPI(M) fielded 217 candidates in the assembly election, CPI 12, AIFB 34, RSP 23, RCPI 2 and BBC 1 candidate on an independent ticket.<ref name=s1996>Election Commission of India. [http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1996/StatisticalReport-WB96.pdf STATISTICAL ''Report on General Eelection, 1996 to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal'']</ref> DSP, WBSP and MFB candidates contested on CPI(M) tickets. In 5 seats the Left Front supported JD candidates, mainly in the Calcutta area.<ref name=s1996/>

==Left Front in opposition (2011-now)==

===2014 Lok Sabha Election===

CPI(M) party-supported canteen (Sromojibi Canteen) had given food packets to labourers and poor people in various parts of Kolkata at a subsidised rate during the lockdown and has continued even after that.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/politics/will-the-cpim-congress-alliance-in-west-bengal-work-this-time|title=Will the CPI(M)-Congress Alliance in West Bengal Work This Time?|website=The Wire}}</ref> Strategies were implemented to combat COVID-19 and the destruction caused by cyclone [[Cyclone Amphan|Amphan]] especially in the [[Sundarbans|Sunderbans]] on 20 May 2020 and its [[cadre (politics)|cadre]]s and volunteers rushed in to help with basics like soap, food grains, cooked food and tarpaulin for people whose homes were destroyed.

In the last few months, the CPI(M) has held rallies, conducted volunteer work and other activities in different parts of [[Purba Medinipur district|East]] and [[Paschim Medinipur district|West Midnapore]], in areas which had been difficult to access for them for over 10 years due to crude impeachment against the ''red jhanda'' by the [[All India Trinamool Congress|TMC]] and  [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)|Maoists]] alike.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/politics/west-bengal-election-left-cpim-amphan-covid|title=Riding on Tireless Relief Work, the Left Charts a Return to Bengal's Radar|website=The Wire}}</ref>

In the past two years after the reopening of all the party offices, the cadres are actively involved in various social welfare schemes with the participation of the youth in organising community kitchens, free ration and vegetable markets, safe housing, distribution of kits to students for studies and clothes to the underprivileged.

Among many social welfare initiatives, now the Left has set up Rs. 50 health clinics and safe houses for the poor who cannot afford expensive medical care facilities amid the Covid-19 pandemic in the state. The CPI(M) has converted nearly 30 party offices into safe homes for poor people who don’t have extra room at their dwellings for quarantining in case of Covid-19 infection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/with-welfare-schemes-for-the-needy-during-covid-19-crisis-left-front-aims-at-comeback-in-2021-polls-2844789.html|title=With Welfare Schemes for the Needy During Covid-19 Crisis, Left Front Aims at Comeback in 2021 Polls|date=3 September 2020|website=www.news18.com}}</ref>

=== 2021 Assembly Elections ===

On the eve of the [[2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]] Left Front reiterated a political alliance with the [[Indian National Congress]] in order to uproot the [[All India Trinamool Congress|Trinamool]] state government and oppose the advance of [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] in West Bengal. The Left Front raised slogans for the creation of a Left democratic secular government. The [[Indian Secular Front]] led by the Furfura Sharif cleric [[Abbas Siddique]] also joined the [[Mahajot]] and has finalized its seat-sharing capacities with the alliance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/assembly-west-bengal/west-bengal-assembly-elections-2021-indian-secular-front-other-small-secular-parties-to-join-bengal-alliance-congress-adhir-ranjan-chowdhury-2371871|title=Indian Secular Front, Other Parties To Join Bengal Alliance: Congress|website=NDTV.com}}</ref> The new alliance is termed as [[Sanjukta Morcha]] (translated in English: The United Front) [Bengali: সংযুক্ত মোর্চা]. The Left Parties will contest in 165 seats, Congress in 92 and ISF in 37 seats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/west-bengal/left-to-fight-165-bengal-seats-congress-92-isf-37/articleshow/81340342.cms|title=West Bengal Elections 2021: Left to fight 165 Bengal seats, Congress 92, ISF 37 &#124; - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref> As per the deal, out of 175 seats, CPI(M) is contesting on 137 seats, AIFB on 18 seats, RSP on 11 seats, CPI on 10 seats and the MFB on 1 seat. The Left Front did not win any seats out of the 292 seats or which votes were counted on 2 May 2021. The alliance, "Sanjukta Morcha" had won 1 seat in total, the sole seat being won by Nawsad Siddique in Bhangar Constituency of West Bengal. This becomes the first time when, the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha is devoid of any Left Front or INC MLA. The runner ups of CPIM stand as follows:

The CPI(M) had, for a long time been running the ''Sramajibi Canteens'' and the ''Red Volunteers'' programme and plans to continue the same, even after bagging only 4.6% of the vote share.

===Chronological List===