Maharashtra polls: CPM veteran Narsayya Adam to contest from Solapur Central

Communist Party of India (Marxist) would put up a show of strength in Solapur on Sept 24 when veteran leader Narsayya Adam files nomination papers from Solapur Central constituency. Party MP and politburo member Sitaram Yechury will accompany Adam when he files papers. The party will contest 20 assembly seats and hopes to make it in at least three this time.

Yechury would be in the state for just a day and-a-half. Over 50,000 party supporters are expected to accompany Adam when he goes to file nomination papers.

CPM state general secretary Ashok Dhavle said the party would contest 20 seats on its own symbol and would be part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) alliance that has CPI, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Janata Dal Secular (JDS), Republican Party of India (Secular) led by Sham Gaikwad, RPI (Khobragade faction) led by Rajaram Kharat.

The LDF will also have alliance with Maharashtra LDF, which has Prakash Ambedkar's Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, Lal Nishan and Satyashodhak Communist Party as the main constituents.

Dhavle said the Left alliance might all together contest in more than 200 seats.

For years together, CPM used to have 2-3 MLAs in the state, but now it has only one MLA, Rajaram Ojhare (Dahanu).

On being asked how confident the party was about regaining 3-4 seats, Dhavle said: "We can snatch back Solapur Central where Narsayya Adam was defeated by Praniti Shinde last time."

He said CPM had better prospects this time as the anti-govt votes, which otherwise would have gone to the Sena-BJP alliance, could shift to the LDF since people would see a strong alternative in it. He said the party could win Dahanu, Solapur Central and Kalvan this time as CPM had fought for tribals' rights over forest lands and forest produce. The party had also raised issues concerning organized and un-organized sectors in urban areas, he said.

CPM also hopes to do well in Akole (Ahmednagar), Shahada (Nandurbar), Ballarpur (Chandrapur), Kalvan, Nashik West, Dahanu, Pathari, Kinvat and Vikramgad.