The forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections are being held in the background of formation of the Modi led BJP central government last year. The Modi government is vehemently pushing forward the neo-liberal agenda as a kind of pay back to the corporates for their support in the elections. The Union Budget has provided big tax concessions to corporates and the upper middle class. Despite tall promises made during the election campaign, there is no let up in inflation, especially that in food items. The Modi Government is hell bent on changing labour laws to favour the employers.
Simultaneously, the RSS-BJP is indulging in a venomous communal campaign in order to divide the people and deflect the growing discontent against their government into disruptive channels. In Delhi, the BJP-RSS have made cynical attempts to engineer communal violence in Bawana, Trilokpuri, Sriram Colony, Nand Nagri, Madanpur Khadar etc. Their immediate aim is to polarize people on communal lines for electoral gains in the forthcoming assembly elections, while their long term game is to create a lasting base, especially among Dalits and poorer sections living in unauthorized, jhuggi and resettlement colonies for furthering their agenda for creating a Hindu Rashtra.
The Republic Day marks the day India’s Constitution was adopted – the Constitution that assures citizens of their rights and liberties. Unfortunately on this day, the Modi Govt sold out the interests of Indian citizens to US and corporate interests, even as it is trampling on the rights and liberties of Indian workers, farmers, women, Dalits and minorities.
The BJP and Congress that have successively ruled Delhi are squarely responsible for the myriad problems confronting the people of Delhi today. Their rule has been marked with never ending rise in prices of food stuffs, large scale unemployment, dismal state of housing, water, electricity, education, health and other civic facilities, violence on women, attacks on the livelihood of workers, etc. as well as consistent marginalisation of urban poor and toiling masses.
In this background, large sections of people who were fed up with both these parties voted for the AAP in the state assembly elections in December, 2013 enabling it to form a government with support of the Congress. This had aroused lot of hopes. However, the manner in which the AAP quit government after just 49 days without seriously attempting to fulfil its electoral promises, disappointing many of its supporters. In this elections, issues of the working class and Delhi’s poor that had come to the fore in the last elections, have again taken a backseat even in the AAP’s campaign, even as the AAP too is unwilling to enunciate any alternate policy framework and is willy-nilly stuck in the same neo-liberal trajectory without rejecting which the basic problems of the people cannot be addressed in any meaningful manner.
In this backdrop, the CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) LIBERATION, SUCI (C), Forward Bloc, RSP and Socialist Party (India) have come to a seat-sharing arrangement, and will be extending support to each other on the following 14 seats: Timarpur, Ballimaran, Palam, Trilokpuri & Krishna Nagar (CPI). Karawal Nagar & Dwarka (CPI-M). Narela, Wazirpur and Kondli (CPI (M-L) Liberation). Mundka and Nangloi Jat (AIFB). Badli and Sadar Bazar (SUCI–C). Socialist Party (India) and RSP are not contesting any seat but will support the above candidates fielded by other Left parties.
We will be seeking to highlight the issues of Delhi’s working poor, which the Left parties have consistently championed and struggled for. These issues include implementation of minimum wage and all labour laws, ending contractualization; upholding the right of all street hawkers to ply their livelihood without harassment; end to demolition of jhuggis, legal ownership to slum dwellers; right to housing, education, health, water, sanitation, electricity, transport for all, and an end to privatization of these services; protecting the rights and freedom of women by gender-sensitive urban planning as well as ensuring crisis centres for women survivors of violence, and child care centres in all slum clusters and working class areas. The Left parties are also committed to actively resisting communal campaigns and promoting unity and peace among people.
We appeal to the people of Delhi to extend support and vote for Left candidates in the Delhi elections, to ensure that there is a robust voice of Opposition inside and outside the Delhi Assembly that can champion the issues of Delhi’s common people, poor and working masses with greater strength in the days to come.
K.M. Tiwari
Secretary,
Delhi State CPI(M)
on behalf of the above 7 Left parties.
