INDIA bloc must take united stand on SIR, says CPI(ML) Liberation leader

CPI General Secretary (ML) Dipankar Bhattacharya. Photo credit:-

CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya has called for a unified response to the Special Intensive Review (SIR) and said the INDIA bloc must move beyond the state-specific positions taken by opposition parties so far. He also expressed concern over the delay in convening the INDIA bloc meeting which was announced for August 8.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Bhattacharya said that on June 8, when the INDIA bloc last met in Delhi, it was decided that the next meeting would be held within two months. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the meeting will be held on August 8 in Hyderabad.

“August 8 came and went, but the meeting did not take place. We brought it to the attention of the Congress. There are several issues on which the INDIA bloc needs to take a united stand,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.

Mr. Bhattacharya said that SIR is among the primary issues on which the INDIA bloc needs to take a collective stand. “So far, each state and the opposition has responded to the SIR challenge in its own way. Now the all-India picture is emerging; it is high time we take a national view and develop a collective response,” he said.

Upcoming polls

This, he said, became crucial in view of the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Manipur and Goa in 2027. In both Bihar and West Bengal, Mr. Bhattacharya said, the impact of SIR was felt through mass voter exclusion. A similar purge of voters also took place in Uttar Pradesh, which warrants a closer look, he added.

Mr. Bhattacharya further said that his party will contest assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. “If possible, as part of the INDIA bloc, if a broader coalition emerges,” he said, adding that if that doesn’t happen, CPI(ML) Liberation will fight alone or as part of the Left bloc.

“If you look at the situation on the ground, in all these states people are fed up with these governments,” he added.

“Mass Disenfranchisement”

Mr. Bhattacharya raised questions about the election process, saying that while the anger of the people was evident, the outcome of the election could not be predicted in the context of what he described as mass disenfranchisement.

“We can only talk about the mood of the people and their desire for change. What made Jantar Mantar click? It was UP. It was the anger of UP voters spilling over into the streets of Delhi,” he said.

Published – 05 Sep 2026 22:02 IST