Congress, Left bonhomie in trouble

New Delhi: With Rahul Gandhi heading to Wayand constituency, the recently patched up bonhomie between the Congress and the Left is in tatters.

The friendliness that they have nurtured over the years since they broke up after the Left withdrew support to UPA government in 2008 over nuclear agreement now stands broken.  

In 2004, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, former general secretary of CPM, played a major role in forming an alliance of secular forces to fight archrival BJP.

The 60 seats that the Left had won bolstered up the Congress-led UPA in power.

During the second UPA government, the Left emaciated to just two dozen members in Lokh Sabha.

When Prakash Karat threatened to pull out of UPA, PM Manmohan Singh didn’t give a damn about it as he had garnered the support of provincial parties.

Close to a decade after the break-up, Congress and Left recently have become aware of forming a platform in fighting communal forces.

Subsequently, CPM chief Sitaram Yechuri and CPI chief D. Raja began to appear alongside Congress leaders at grand alliance venues.

The West Bengal unit of CPM that opposed the nuclear agreement has recently formed electoral alliance with the Congress.

Congress is changing its electoral tactics as left parties appear to be more fragile this time.  

Obviously, it would take time to heal the animosity brought about by Rahul’s candidature in Wayanad, and it might continue even the post poll period too.

Alongside, the left parties’ idea of a third front excluding Congress appears to have no relevance now.