The following statement has been issued by Dr Ajit Nawale, Secretary of Maharashtra state committee of CPI(M).

Six Members of Parliament of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra have defected and joined the Shinde Sena. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) had supported all six of these MPs during the elections as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (INDIA) bloc on the issues of protecting democracy, secularism, and the Constitution. CPI(M) workers and mass organisations across the state campaigned vigorously against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, working tirelessly to ensure the victory of these Maha Vikas Aghadi candidates.

Before the Lok Sabha elections, the ruling forces had engineered splits in the Shiv Sena (SS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). There was widespread public anger against these splits and against the defections by legislators. Farmers were also deeply resentful of the BJP due to the crashing prices of onions and milk. This anger had been strongly expressed through the struggles and movements led by the Kisan Sabha and other farmers’ organisations. As a result, the people rejected BJP candidates and elected the candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024.

However, these very MPs have now joined the Shinde Sena in order to support the same BJP against which the people, grassroots workers of the Maha Vikas Aghadi and Left parties had fought with all their strength. This is a grave betrayal of the people and of the workers of the Left parties and organisations who had worked selflessly, without any expectation of personal gain, to secure their election.

Earlier too, legislators had defected in a similar manner—first under the leadership of Eknath Shinde and later under Ajit Pawar. At that time as well, Left parties across Maharashtra had contributed significantly to the election of candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi against the BJP and NDA.

Left parties and their mass organisations continuously struggle for people’s issues with utmost dedication. Despite lacking money and resources, they build organisations through sacrifice and hard work. Yet fronts such as the Maha Vikas Aghadi often fail to provide adequate representation to Left parties and their workers in elections. Instead, candidatures are frequently given to individuals who may lack ideological commitment but possess the financial capacity to win elections. Dedicated and principled Left activists are often denied appropriate opportunities. In this context, the question arises: do such candidates, selected primarily because of their financial and organisational strength, remain loyal to the three constituent parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi after being elected?

The parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi must engage in introspection and undertake necessary reforms. They must reconsider the consequences of giving tickets to individuals who possess immense, often dubious, financial resources but have little commitment to secularism, democracy, public welfare, or the protection of the Constitution.

There is an urgent need to build public opinion against the growing tendency of betrayal by elected legislators and MPs. Likewise, the country urgently requires measures to prevent the misuse of the Election Commission and government machinery, along with the implementation of far-reaching electoral reforms. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has therefore decided to organise protests throughout Maharashtra and oppose such opportunistic defections.

All units of the Party will carry out this extensive campaign together with the people. Through statewide demonstrations and the burning of effigies of defectors, the CPI(M) will register its protest against these repeated acts of political betrayal.

Such defections are invariably justified in the name of “development.” Public funds collected from the people are used as a weapon in the form of development grants for constituencies. These funds are often allocated only to legislators and MPs belonging to the ruling party or those who support it. This creates an illusion of development among the people. In reality, large commissions, percentages, and financial irregularities are often involved, enriching individuals and generating funds for future elections. It is precisely to participate in this politics of commissions that MLAs and MPs elected in the opposition frequently join the ruling camp. This trend is destroying ideological politics and eroding public faith in democracy and elections. It poses a serious threat to democracy.

Since there is a pressing need to work among the people against every form of opportunism in politics, the Party has decided to launch this broad public awareness campaign. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) appeals to all Party units, members of mass and class organisations, and the general public to actively participate in this campaign and help mobilize people in large numbers.