The Left’s strength is not in numbers; a key observation by K. Balakrishnan

Tamil Nadu: K. Balakrishnan, a member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist’s Political Leadership Committee, says the Left’s strength shouldn’t be determined by the number of seats allocated.

He told Dinamani newspaper, which had visited various districts and campaigned in Chennai before the assembly elections: Isn’t it sad that Marxists couldn’t win a single seat in places like Coimbatore and Tiruppur, where trade unions were at their peak?

Such questions are common in every election. No Marxist is in a position to contest elections wherever they want. By joining the alliance, one can only contest in allocated seats. Even now, we wanted to contest in Coimbatore, but couldn’t get a seat. Until the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, only Marxists contested and won the Coimbatore seat.

After a long time, Marxists are contesting elections in Kanyakumari district. What is the field situation there? If the DMK, Congress, and Marxists form an alliance in Kanyakumari district, they could win all six constituencies there. They could easily win the Padmanabhapuram constituency.

There is speculation that the DMK and Marxists have different positions on the anti-labor reform laws and the Parandur Airport issue. Will this not be reflected in the elections?

Even when the anti-labor laws were passed in the Assembly, Chief Minister Stalin suspended him because the Left raised their voices. The Marxists’ stance is that land should not be acquired for any government project, including the Parandur Airport, without farmers’ consent. Tamil Nadu, like other states, needs a large airport. However, non-agricultural land can be acquired for this purpose. When such projects are implemented, a portion of the profits should be given to the farmers who provided the land.

What is your response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation that the DMK, BJP, Congress, Marxists, and others are contesting elections in Tamil Nadu under a secret agreement?

In Tamil Nadu, the Chief Secretary, DGP, and others have been replaced. How could they be changed if there was a secret agreement?

Is the Election Commission’s action in West Bengal a reflection of the BJP’s aggressive election campaign and a gesture to appease the DMK government in Tamil Nadu?