New Delhi [India], January 9 : In a show of left unity ahead of the 2025 Delhi assembly elections, the communist parties have decided to extend support to each other as they gear up to contest six assembly constituencies. Communist Party of India (Marxist) will contest the elections on two seats - Karawal Nagar and Badarpur.
CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat on Thursday gave the slogan, "BJP hatao, Delhi bachao (defeat BJP, save Delhi)," saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was "bulldozing" the rights of the people of Delhi and it was necessary to stop them.
"Three left parties - Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI and CPI (Marxist-Leninist) - are contesting on a total of six (assembly) seats, two each. CPI(M) is contesting in Karawal Nagar and Badarpur (assembly constituency). For the rest of the seats, we have raised the slogan: 'BJP hatao, Delhi bachao (defeat BJP, save Delhi)'," Karat told ANI.
She further accused the BJP of depriving the Delhi government of "autonomy", saying that the policies of the BJP have eliminated the autonomy of the Delhi government, which the Supreme Court had mandated.
"I have told you that it is about defeating BJP in Delhi. Our focus is to defeat them. Where the left is not contesting, we will decide on whom to support based on our analysis. The understanding is that BJP is the most dangerous and toxic force. They must be defeated at all costs in the national capital, where their policies have eliminated the autonomy of the Delhi government which the Supreme Court had mandated. BJP is acting as bulldozer against the rights of the people of Delhi and it is essential to stop them," Karat said.
As the Aam Aadmi Party gets more support from among the INDIA bloc parties in the upcoming Delhi Assembly election, AAP MP Sanjay Singh has termed his party as the "only party in Delhi which can defeat BJP."
"Everyone's aim is to defeat BJP. AAP is the only party in Delhi which can defeat BJP. This is why other parties are coming out to support us and we thank them for it," he told ANI.
Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party had extended their support to the AAP in the election. The Congress and AAP are part of the INDIA bloc, however, they are pitted against each other in this election.
The Delhi assembly polls will be held in a single phase on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8. The last date for filing nominations is January 17. The date for scrutiny of nominations is January 18. While last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 20.
The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat. In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections by winning 62 out of 70 seats while the BJP got only eight seats.