By Arun Srivastava
Whether CPI(ML) Liberation, led by Dipankar Bhattacharya, becomes the “big brother” of the communist parties in India by adopting an energetic and farsighted role in shaping and providing an ideological-political sustenance to the INDIA bloc is debatable, but one thing is certain — that CPIML)-L joining the alliance and he taking a proactive role in influencing its working structure has significantly elevated his political profile, influence, and recognition to his party.
The manner in which Bhattacharya helped the Rahul Gandhi-led INDIA bloc to expose the conspiratorial design of the ECI to disenfranchise crores of the Dalits, poor and Muslims, has earned him the reputation of an ideologue. He is credited with rescuing INDIA bloc from collapse in Bihar, with the RJD chief Lalu Yadav adopting an obstinate attitude towards the allies. While the top INDIA bloc leaders who aspire to rule Bihar were in deep sleep on the night of October 22, Dipankar was busy calling Rahul Gandhi late into the night and forcing him to intervene for saving the alliance in Bihar. His efforts paid dividends. Rahul spoke to his allies and the Mahagathbandhan was saved.
Bhattacharya’s prominence is primarily rooted in the party’s influence and his strategic role within India’s opposition alliances. Dipankar played the role of a unifying force. His quiet intervention helped to ease tensions and prevent the opposition coalition from fracturing under pressure in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections. Dipankar sees the Left as an imperative force to counter what he perceives as a “fascist offensive” by the ruling establishment. He is concerned of the saffron attack on constitutional values and democratic rights.
Bhattacharya’s approach to the national issues has been diametrically different from other communist parties. While CPI(M) and CPI have been ultra-cautious in their political stands and approaches, Dipankar prefers to call a spade a spade. The core difference is that while the CPI(M) has been seen to prioritize its specific political interests and state-level power, Dipankar Bhattacharya’s CPI(ML) Liberation has adopted a more consistently and vocally anti-BJP stance, working actively within coalitions like the INDIA bloc. The premise of the question is therefore inverted: Bhattacharya has pushed for unity, sometimes openly contrasting with the CPI(M)’s more nuanced or peripheral approach to the national opposition.
Bhattacharya is also known for his strong and vocal criticism of the BJP government. In March 2025 he publicly disapproved of a CPI(M) note for “downplaying the fascist danger,” urging communists to take a stronger, more united stance against the ruling party. Unlike CPI(M) which has been known for committing ‘historic blunders’; first by stopping Jyoti Basu from becoming prime minister; and, secondly, barely twelve years later making another blunder by withdrawing support to the UPA government when Manmohan Singh went ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal, Bhattacharya likes to have a proper perspective of the developing situation.
While Dipankar actively participated in INDIA bloc activities, CPI(M)’s strategy has been at odds with broader opposition unity efforts, especially on a national level. Though splinter Naxalite groups criticised Bhattacharya for aligning with Congress, even CPI(M) adopted an antagonistic approach towards the grand old party, Bhattacharya aligned to fight the greatest evil, the fascist force represented by the Narendra Modi-led BJP and its mothership, the RSS.
Apart from being the main Left force in Bihar, the CPI(ML)-L has been gaining ground in states, enticing youth cadres. In the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University, its affiliate AISA is in power. The AISA has spread its influence more in the universities and colleges in North India in the recent period. Former AISA leaders including a former JNU Students Union president are contesting in Bihar polls as CPI(ML)-L candidates signifying the youth power of the party.
The growth of the CPI(ML)-L has added to the growing profile of the party and its general secretary, Dipankar Bhattacharya on the national political stage, primarily as a key voice within the INDIA bloc. State-level electoral success achieved under his leadership in the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, has made the CPI(ML)-L fifth-largest party in the state. This performance was a major factor in the party’s recognition by the Election Commission of India.
CPI(ML)-L has a history rooted in armed struggle, though it has since reoriented towards parliamentary politics. A key part of Bhattacharya’s recent prominence is his party’s role within the INDIA bloc. The visibility of his party and himself as a leader is heightened by its inclusion in this larger coalition. Significantly, Bhattacharya is now visible on the national stage as a representative of the Left within the INDIA bloc.
CPI(ML)-L sees the BJP as a unique and dangerous threat to India’s secular democracy and constitutional values. In its resolution on the national situation, the party stated that “we are currently passing through a period of intensified assault on the constitutional foundation of parliamentary democracy”. Bhattacharya believes that all democratic forces must unite to resist what it calls a “fascistic assault” on the republic. The alliance with the Congress is a tactical move, not an ideological one. It ought to be realised that in states like Bihar, the CPI(ML)-L has allied with the Congress and RJD as part of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) to defeat the ultra-rightist fascist forces.
The sacrifice of CPI(ML)-L to accept 20 seats and not to press for 30 seats during the seat negotiations between the INDIA bloc parties in the current polls in Bihar, is widely appreciated in the social and political circle. Bhattacharya could have forced RJD chief to concede his demand, but in the greater interest of defeating BJP and accommodating other smaller allies, he refrained and reconciled. Bhattacharya has been praised for acting as a unifying force. The party is seen as an ideologically committed, serious player rather than merely an opportunistic vote-getter, which has bolstered its image.
Joining the INDIA bloc is a strategic move by CPI(ML)-L. The party’s decision to form an alliance with the Congress and other centrist parties has sparked debate on whether it compromises their radical identity. CPI(ML)-L has a history rooted in advocating for significant societal change. In some regions, it is in conflict with feudal landlords and political figures often associated with mainstream parties, including members of the INDIA bloc.
CPI(ML)’s history shows a shift toward prioritizing electoral politics alongside mass movements. This alliance can be viewed as a pragmatic tactical decision to form a broad front to address political threats. Despite the alliance, the CPI(ML)-L has continued to advocate for marginalized communities. Its winning two Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections has put it in the centre stage of national politics. The two members are fighting for the interests of the marginalised in the Lok Sabha. They themselves belong to that group.
This emergence of the CPI(ML)-L in national politics and the recognition of Bhattacharya as a driving force for the anti-BJP forces open up possibilities of giving sharp edge to the movement of the Left as a whole in India in 2025. If the three communist parties CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(ML)-L cooperate more actively in the national politics, that may lead to rejuvenation of the Left as a whole, which is so much needed at this hour to meet the challenge from the Hindutva forces led by the BJP. Bhattacharya with his background as both a fighter for the oppressed and a person with high intellect has the potential to lead the Left as a whole in the coming period. (IPA Service)
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