Saffron flag or BJP is now controlling most of the “Lal Salaam” strongholds. After the 1991 election, no one from CPI or CPI(M) could become an MP in Uttar Pradesh. In 1991, they won just the Ghazipur seat.
Representational image (Photo:CPIM flag)
The existence of the communist parties, which once dominated different parts of Uttar Pradesh by doing politics in the name of championing labour rights and exploitation of villagers, is now on the verge of extinction in the state, experts say.
Saffron flag or BJP is now controlling most of the “Lal Salaam” strongholds. After the 1991 election, no one from CPI or CPI(M) could become an MP in Uttar Pradesh. In 1991, they won just the Ghazipur seat.
Political commentators say Ram Mandir movement in late 1980’s dealt a death blow to the Left parties in the state. However, they also feel that the new generation has moved away from the Leftist ideology and this became the main cause for the downfall of Left politics.
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Earlier, Leftist leaders used to do politics and played a major role in awakening the consciousness of the common people for their rights. But successors failed to continue in their efforts.
However, the Communist Party of India (CPI) in 2024 has tried to keep itself alive in UP by announcing to contest the Lok Sabha elections on eight seats in the state.
The Leftists made Kanpur, the industrial capital of the state, their stronghold in the 70-80’s era. Left domination was also seen in the religious city of Ayodhya, the erstwhile Faizabad. The Left also won occasionally in Banda, Ghosi, Varanasi and Ghazipur.
But now it is a thing of the past and has become a history for the Left parties.
The Left history in UP starts from the second Lok Sabha elections in the country, when in 1957, labour leader SM Banerjee, a supporter of the Left, contested the election in Kanpur as an independent and won. After this, Banerjee became MP of Kanpur four times.
In 1977, Manohar Lal of Janata Party halted Banerjee’s winning streak. After this, in 1989, Subhashini Ali of CPI(M) became MP from Kanpur.
In 1967, Satya Narayan Singh of Communist Party of India (Marxist) registered victory and gave a ‘Lal Salaam’ to Kashi. CPI’s Jageshwar Yadav won from Banda . After this, there were many migrations, but CPI could not make a comeback.
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