Lok Sabha elections: Left parties stay away from polls in Dakshina Kannada

MANGALURU: Once a strong contender especially when the beedi industry was at its peak, left parties have slowly faded into oblivion in

Dakshina Kannada

constituency. The BJP has scripted success after success in

Lok Sabha

polls since 1996 and, for the first time, CPM has decided not to field a candidate. The party plans to support a secular candidate.


Muneer Katipalla, CPM state committee member and Democratic Youth Federation of India state president, said, “The decision not to field a candidate was taken by the party’s Central Committee. The intent is to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Candidates are being fielded only where the party is confident of winning. So the state committee took the decision to contest only from Chikkaballapura Lok Sabha constituency. In the other constituencies, the party will support candidates of secular parties that are capable of defeating the BJP.”

Muneer said the nation’s development is important and that the party is working hard to increase its representation in Parliament. “Yes, this decision will have an impact on the party strength, but it has been taken keeping in mind the nation’s well-being,” he said.

Muneer said when industries such as tile and beedi began dying, the labour movement also declined. He said the party plans to reshape the movement by involving youth and concentrating on local issues.

“The fact remains there are lakhs of families that depend on the beedi industry even today,” Muneer said. “Last year, following a meeting between government representatives, beedi workers and owners, a decision was made that wages of every beedi worker would be increased to Rs 220 from the current Rs 170 for every 1,000 beedis rolled. But, this demand has not yet been implemented. Political parties are not taking up these issues and labourers are never considered as vote banks in Dakshina Kannada.”

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, K Yadava Shetty of the CPM secured a mere 9,394 votes.