Mahajot

Secular Democratic Alliance[1] or more commonly known as Mahajot is a broad agreement that some political parties proposed before the 2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election for fighting All India Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, India. It was led by Communist Party of India (Marxist)[2] and Indian National Congress[3] with other smaller parties of Left Front (West Bengal).[4][5][6][7][8]

Mahajot
Founded2016
Political positionBig tent
Member Parties10
Members in West Bengal Legislative Assembly
46 / 294
Members in Lok Sabha
2 / 42

(from West Bengal)
Members in Rajya Sabha
3 / 16

(from West Bengal)

Formation

Following the heavy defeats in the 2011 Assembly equations and the 2014 Indian national election, the party welcomed ideas of the alliance even with parties not conforming to the communist manifesto in general. The first signs came when in the Siliguri municipal election, CPI(M) made some local understanding with INC resulting in CPI(M) leader Ashok Bhattacharya being appointed as the mayor. This success got popularity as Siliguri Model.

After the success of the model, in the long run, some Congress and CPI(M) leader advocated for a Left-Congress alliance.[9] This gradually materialized into "Alliance" between INC and Left Front in all the seats except in Murshidabad district.

After much dispute and secession of SUCI(C) and CPI(ML) from Left Front, both Congress and Lefts formed a basis of what they called "seat sharing", strongly objecting to the use of the word-"alliance".

Left Front consisting of CPI(M), CPI, RSP and All India Forward Bloc along with INC (Congress) (who were on an Electoral agreement with the Left Front) released their respective candidate list in several rounds after consultations and bargaining.[10][11]

References
  1. SUHRID SANKAR CHATTOPADHYAY (30 March 2016). "Uniting 'secular, democratic' forces". frontline.thehindu.com. Kolkata: The Hindu. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  2. Pradipta Tapadar (January 1, 2016). "West Bengal Assembly Elections 2016: CPI(M), Left Divided Over Alliance With Congress". Pradipta Tapadar.
  3. "Sonia Gandhi gives nod to Left-Congress alliance in Bengal". August 24, 2019.
  4. "10 reasons Left-Congress lost West Bengal more than Mamata won it".
  5. Soumya Das (February 19, 2019). "Left-Congress alliance in a mess".
  6. Sam Solomon, Jyoti Prasad Chatterjee (May 22, 2016). "CPI-M and Congress alliance to continue in Bengal".
  7. Romita Datta (May 19, 2016). "West Bengal results: It's Mamata all the way, Left-Congress experiment fails".
  8. "West Bengal: Left-Congress alliance weak in arithmetic and chemistry".
  9. "Left-Congress alliance in West Bengal Elections 2016, hinted Left leaders". infoelections.
  10. "West Bengal Assembly Election Left Front Candidate List 2016". Infoelection.
  11. "West Bengal Assembly Election Congress Candidate List 2016". Infoelection.


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