Bihar: CPI(ML) Liberation announces women’s wing leader as candidate for legislative council polls

Patna: The CPI(ML) Liberation on Wednesday announced its women’s wing leader Shashi Yadav as a candidate for the upcoming polls to the state legislative council in Bihar.

The announcement was made at a press conference here, which was attended by Yadav, national vice-president of All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, among others.

The Left party, which has 12 MLAs in the 243-strong assembly, is an ally of the Congress-RJD combine, the support of which it would need to win a seat in the Upper House.

Bhattacharya replied in the affirmative when asked whether RJD and Congress had given consent to support his party's candidate for the legislative council polls scheduled later this month.

The CPI(ML) Liberation was eyeing a Rajya Sabha berth when biennial elections were held last month.

Bhattacharya had later said the party was giving up its own claim and supporting candidates of the Congress-RJD combine 'in larger national interest', and expressed hope that it will get a representation in the Vidhan Parishad.

The Left party, which sprung from the Naxal uprising of the 1960s, earlier used to maintain that it was an organisation of mass movements, and hence, averse to taking the Upper House route.

However, changed political realities, including electoral success that came its way following a tie-up with non-Left parties, has led to a rethink of the CPI(ML) Liberation's approach.