Setback for Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, CPI goes it alone in Punjab polls

Bathinda, January 24 In fresh trouble for the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), after the CPI (ML), another ally, Communist Party of India, today said it will contest on its own and field candidates on 22 seats in the Assembly elections....

Tribune News Service

Updated At : 10:59 AM Jan 25, 2022 IST

Bathinda, January 24

In fresh trouble for the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), after the CPI (ML), another ally, Communist Party of India, today said it will contest on its own and field candidates on 22 seats in the Assembly elections. The party released its first list of 15 candidates.

Punjab CPI secretary Bant Singh Brar, former MLA Hardev Arshi and leader Nirmal Dhaliwal accused SSM’s Balbir Singh Rajewal of being a “one-man show” and accused the outfit of being “undemocratic” in distributing ticket. They accused Rajewal of being “inaccessible”. Nine seats were allotted to the CPI, but only six had been announced so far, they claimed, adding there was no clarity on why their seats were reduced.

“Under the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, they together fought against the three farm laws and later some unions formed the SSM to contest the polls. At the time, we made it clear the CPI is a national political party and it has its own identity, so we will contest on our symbol, but they later started asking us to contest on the SSM symbol.”

The CPI leaders also questioned the allotment of ticket by the SSM to gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana from Maur in Bathinda. They accused the outfit of overlooking the controversial past of candidates. They said several candidates who had no role to play in the farm stir had been given the ticket.

However, the CPI leaders were hopeful of the SSM holding talks with them so that an alliance could be worked out.

Nominees announced