Rahul should have fought from seat where BJP is main opponent: D Raja

New Delhi: Fielding Rahul Gandhi from Kerala's Wayanad is the Congress's prerogative but the public opinion is that a leader of his stature should have contested a seat where he could directly challenge the BJP whose ideology he is fighting, Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja said.

As seat-sharing parleys continue within the INDIA bloc, Raja told PTI in an interview that some disagreements are expected, but the opposition alliance has succeeded in presenting an alternative agenda to people.

On Gandhi contesting from Wayanad, from where the CPI has fielded D Raja's wife Annie Raja, the Left leader said, "The public opinion is that a leader of his stature should have contested against the BJP because we are fighting the BJP ideologically, politically, at national level and in the states. So, as a leader of this fight, he should have contested BJP directly. That is one opinion."

"Kerala is one state where the primary electoral battle is between LDF and UDF and there are only 20 seats. Within LDF, our party CPI gets four seats… The state unit has unanimously proposed the candidates for four seats and the national leadership of the party has approved it. Now, it is for the Congress party to decide what it wants to do because it is the prerogative of any political party to choose the candidate or to choose the constituency to fight whatever way they want to fight," Raja said.

He asked what was the message the Congress was trying to send by fielding Gandhi from Kerala, a state ruled by the Left Democratic Front at present.

"...If he wanted to contest any seat from the southern part of India, he could have chosen a seat in Karnataka or in Telangana, wherever to fight BJP directly," he said, adding that it is public opinion, and not that of his party.

Asked if Rahul Gandhi should fight from Amethi, he said, "That is for the Congress party to think over because he used to contest from Amethi and now I don't know whether he will contest from Amethi or not." The CPI leader said the message that needs to be conveyed to the people is that the fight is against the BJP. "How can that message be conveyed effectively to the people that we are all together in the fight against the right-wing communal fascist forces? That is what we should think over." He, however, added that differences in seat-sharing talks are no setback, but just "difficulties".

"I do not think there is a setback, but it is true there are difficulties, problems, because we are a parliamentary democracy and political parties wish to participate in the electoral battle, having a reasonable number of seats in order to get a reasonable presence in Parliament," he said.

"The India bloc has emerged as an alternative and now people look forward to India bloc's performance so that it can be a viable alternative… for which there should be a reasonable seat-sharing arrangement, because the constituents of India bloc must have mutual trust and they must be mutually accommodative to each other, particularly in seat-sharing," he said.

The CPI, which presently has two MPs from Tamil Nadu in Lok Sabha, is looking at increasing its tally in the upcoming polls. While it is fighting four seats in Kerala, and two in Tamil Nadu, it is also looking at states like Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, where the local party units have identified seats on which it is strong.

In Jharkhand, the local unit of CPI has identified eight seats, while in Bihar, they have identified three seats, including Begusarai.

Amid reports that CPI may go solo in Jharkhand, Raja said negotiations are still on.

"As a political party, we have the right to propose the constituencies where our party can fight. At the same time these seats are subject to negotiation. And if the Congress party, JMM and other parties agree for a reasonable seat-sharing arrangement, well and good... " he said.

Railing against former ally Nitish Kumar, who left the INDIA bloc and joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, he said, "The exit of JD(U) is really a betrayal".

"Nobody expected he would do such a thing and he did it. He went back to the BJP, but in Bihar, I must say, people will teach him a lesson and the people of Bihar understand the betrayal of Mr Nitish Kumar," he said.

Raja added that the people in Bihar are rallying behind the opposition combine, and the CPI will also be looking at increasing its tally in Kerala.

Asked about the BJP's chances in southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, he said, "No, I do not think the BJP can make any headway in Tamil Nadu or Kerala. It is difficult for the BJP because the ideology of the BJP will not be accepted by the people of Tamil Nadu and, for that matter, by the people of other states."