A mood of “frustration” prevails in the Left parties' camp in the central districts, following snapping of ties with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The ranks of the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were fuming over the AIADMK’s failure to accommodate both the parties in the electoral combine led by it. A cross section of the cadre of both the Communist parties expressed “shock” and “disbelief” at the latest turn of events which has pushed them to a tight spot. Dubbing it a “breach of trust”, activists belonging to the left parties said the AIADMK leadership should not have gone ahead with the election campaign even before firming up the alliance. The Left parties did not get panicky and react seriously to the announcement of candidates for all the 39 constituencies in the state, as they had the similar experience of the AIADMK announcing the candidates unilaterally at the 2011 Assembly elections, and later withdrawing the list when the other parties in the alliance, including Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), CPI and CPI (M) expressed their resentment.
“In fact, we thought that the AIADMK leadership would withdraw its candidates from the constituencies which are earmarked to the left parties, a promise made by the party supremo Jayalalithaa at a press conference when she released the list of candidates”, M. Selvaraj, a senior CPI leader, said.
Functionaries of the CPI (M) and the CPI were also under the surmise that the poll pact would not collapse recalling that they were allotted three Lok Sabha seats to CPI and CPI (M) in the 2009 general elections, despite the presence of parties such as Pattali Makkal Katchi and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Mazhagam in its fold.
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“No doubt, we are thoroughly disappointed at the development. But we are not disheartened”, said another left party activist. The shabby treatment meted out to the left parties would only adversely affect the progressive forces in the state, which have to play a vital role in the post-poll success, he opined.
Left parties always have strong presence in the central districts. CPI held Nagapattinam constituency six terms, starting from 1971, 1977, 1979, and then again in 1989, 1996 and 1998. Veteran CPI (M) leader R. Umanath was elected from now defunct Pudukottai constituency twice in 1962 and 1967. The CPI and CPI (M) have fielded candidates eight times in Tiruchi constituency. K. A. Nambiyar and M. Kalyanasundaram, both Communist veterans, were elected twice from Tiruchi.