Introspect and regroup for Bengal fight, CPI’s Raja tells INDIA bloc after Bihar setback

Following the NDA’s resounding victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D. Raja urged the Mahagathbandhan and other secular parties to introspect and make course corrections to mount a stronger challenge in upcoming polls, particularly in West Bengal, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared as his next political target.

Addressing a Meet The Press programme organised by the Press Club in Vijayawada on December 16, 2025 (Sunday), Mr. Raja said the BJP and RSS would seek to expand their influence in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well, although their attempts to reach out to certain regional parties had met resistance.

Describing the Bihar result as a “disappointing verdict” for the Opposition INDIA bloc, he emphasised the need for mutual accommodation among alliance partners, especially in seat-sharing. The absence of proper coordination, he said, had often turned collective efforts into casualties of internal discord. The Left parties, he added, must also introspect and strengthen unity within their ranks.

Calling for comprehensive electoral reforms, Mr. Raja questioned the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI). He criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls before the Bihar elections, saying it imposed unnecessary hardships on voters by demanding multiple documents. He also highlighted discrepancies between voter numbers and votes polled.

The CPI leader opposed the procedure for appointing Election Commissioners, saying the process lost neutrality after the Chief Justice of India was removed from the selection panel. He denounced the introduction of electoral bonds, asserting that the BJP remains the largest beneficiary of corporate funding under a system that lacks transparency. Citing his party’s opposition to the scheme in the Rajya Sabha, he reiterated that unchecked money power undermines democracy and called for state funding of elections as a corrective step—an issue he said is rarely discussed at serious forums.

Mr. Raja also said Parliament should sit for more days to enable proper debate on issues of public interest, pointing out that the coming Winter Session would last barely a fortnight.

Expressing concern over growing social polarisation, he accused the BJP–RSS combine of promoting a nexus between “communalism and crony capitalism,” which, he said, threatens India’s secular and democratic fabric.

The CPI leader further questioned Prime Minister Modi’s “silence” on U.S. President Donald Trump’s unilateral actions, describing the American leader as “behaving like a dictator of the world.”

Taking aim at the Centre’s economic policies, Mr. Raja said Mr. Modi’s growth claims contrasted with the weakening rupee, which had depreciated to 88 against the U.S. dollar, and the government’s drive to privatise public-sector undertakings. He warned that the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant could meet the same fate as other PSUs handed over to private corporations.

“Even Hitler was elected to power, but his actions led to his downfall,” he observed, noting that electoral victories cannot justify authoritarian or majoritarian governance.

Admitting that a gap exists between the CPI’s ideological framework and the evolving aspirations of the people, Mr. Raja said the party was working to bridge that divide.