CHENNAI: Voices of discontent have emerged from the Left parties over the reduced allocation of seats in the DMK-led alliance, with leaders expressing anguish over the decision even as they reaffirmed their commitment to remain within the coalition to defeat the BJP-RSS combine.
CPM central committee member K Balabarathi, in a Facebook post on Tuesday night, said the pain and disappointment voiced by party cadres had deeply affected her. While acknowledging that some fluctuations were inevitable in seat-sharing negotiations, she said the current outcome had caused significant distress among Left workers.
She pointed out that even within the numbers allotted to parties such as the DMDK, Congress and VCK, the CPM had not been adequately accommodated. Noting that the DMDK had expressed willingness to forgo a few constituencies in the interest of alliance unity, she questioned why the DMK leadership had not considered such inputs or the CPM’s repeated objections to the proposed allocation.
Referring to remarks that the DMK safeguards Left ideology, she asked why only the Left parties had faced a reduction in seats. She also highlighted that the Makkal Needhi Maiam had extended full support to the alliance without contesting, adding that all parties, though independent outside, were integral within the coalition.
Describing the emotional toll on cadres, she said many appeared more distressed over the current developments than even personal losses. She underlined the selfless nature of Left activists, who she said consistently stood at the forefront of public struggles without seeking personal gain. The issue, she added, went beyond numbers and raised broader questions about whether the Left was being marginalised within the alliance.
Echoing similar concerns, CPI leader and Tiruppur MP K Subbarayan, in a post, said there was deep unease within party ranks over the reduced seat share, a sentiment also reflected by sections of the public and media on social platforms.
However, he said the Communists had accepted the arrangement due to political compulsions, with the primary objective of defeating the BJP and RSS, which he accused of promoting division and hatred in society.
Subbarayan stressed the need for a stronger, programme-based ideological alliance, pointing to Kerala as an example, and said such a political formation would take shape in due course. For now, he called for swift and coordinated efforts in Tamil Nadu to defeat the BJP-RSS-led alliance.