New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) While an understanding among INDIA bloc partners in the upcoming state polls would have been good, the opinion of the majority in the grouping has been that the alliance is for the Lok Sabha polls, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Monday.

The remarks by the Left leader come in the backdrop of the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties contesting against each other in the upcoming assembly elections in five states. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had recently expressed his unhappiness with the Congress on the seat-sharing issue and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday said the situation within the opposition alliance was not good.

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Briefing the media about the decisions taken in the meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which concluded on Sunday, Yechury said it has approved lists of candidates for Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, while talks are on in Telangana.

The committee endorsed the list of 17 candidates for Rajasthan, which includes two sitting CPI(M) MLAs. The party will contest three seats in Chhattisgarh and four seats in Madhya Pradesh four seats.

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Asked if the decision on the seats was taken along with INDIA bloc partners, Yechury said, "We are in conversation with Congress. Talks are on in Telangana, in the other three states we have no understanding with Congress (for assembly polls)".

Responding to a question on Abdullah's comments about internal strife in the INDIA bloc as five state assemblies go to polls, Yechury said fighting state polls together would have been good for the alliance, but added that the general understanding is that the alliance is for the general elections.

"The opinion of the majority in the INDIA bloc is that the alliance is for the 2024 Parliamentary elections and to keep BJP away from controlling state power.

"We wish it could have happened in the states (polls) as well. There should have been greater coordination, cooperation in the assembly polls, it would have been helpful in 2024," Yechury said.

The CPI(M) leader stressed that the INDIA bloc is not one party, but a multi-party grouping. At the same time, he said that it would have been better if some understanding could be reached for the assembly polls as well.

He added that there is still time before nominations end in states like Telangana (Nov 10) and Rajasthan (Nov 6).

The Central Committee of CPI(M) also supported Caste Surveys, called for a nationwide socio-economic census with the 2021 Census, and opposed the 'One Nation One Election' proposal.

"This proposal would constitute a twin assault on Parliamentary democracy and Federalism as enshrined in our Constitution.

"Apart from significant amendments to the Constitution, such a proposal would entail either curtailing or extending the life of State Assemblies to synchronise them with Lok Sabha elections," Yechury said on holding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together.

The Committee also strongly condemned the bomb blasts on Sunday at a convention centre in Ernakulam, Kerala, which led to the death of three persons and injured several others.

Without naming anyone, the Central Committee also condemned the comments on social media by a Union Cabinet Minister and alleged he hurled "communal slurs against Kerala and its people" without ascertaining the facts.

"The Central Committee called upon the people of Kerala to rise, as they have always done, against elements that seek to disrupt Kerala's unique and unparalleled social and communal harmony," he said.

It also expressed solidarity with Palestine, and called upon all party units to step up solidarity actions and hold demonstrations across the country.

The Central Committee expressed concern over the alleged reduction in funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and opposed the proposal to install smart prepaid electricity meters.

"This is set to impose severe hardships on the people with higher rates and hand over electricity generation to private corporations for profit maximisation," Yechury allegedly.

The Central Committee also decided to extend the party's support to the countrywide Kisan-Mazdur Mahapadav (sit-in) between 26-28 November.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)