Thiruvananthapuram: Notwithstanding the depressing electoral scenario for the Left across the country, the CPM central leadership is hopeful of securing at least five to six seats outside its bastion of Kerala in the Lok Sabha elections.
Party sources are hopeful of winning Jadavpur constituency in West Bengal where popular party leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya is in the fray.
Dr Fuad Halim from Daimond Harbour who is pitted against incumbent MP Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, stands a good chance.
Dr Fuad is the son of longest serving Speaker of State Assembly late Hashim Abdul Halim. Mohammad Salim is expected to retain Raiganj even though he is facing a tough battle this time.
In Tamil Nadu the party hopes to win Madurai seat from where Su Venkatesan is in the fray and P.R. Natarajan from Coimbatore.
In Tripura the hopes are high in Tripura East where party strongman Jitendra Chowdhary is trying his luck.
Party sources said had the alliance with secular parties including Congress formalised, the CPM could have won a seat each in Maharasthra, Rajasthan and Bihar besides bagging a total of 7 seats in Bengal.
The party believes it has a fighting chance in Dindori in Maharashtra where Kisan Sabha leader Jeeva Pandu Gavit is in the fray.
Another top Kisan Sabha leader Amra Ram is trying his luck from Sikar in Rajasthan. The CPM had won Bikaner Lok Sabha seat in 1989 when Sopat Singh Makkasar was elected from the constituency. However, this time it's a three-cornered contest in Rajasthan.
In case of Kerala the party central leadership is going by the secretariat assessment of at least 10 to 11 seats.
"Whether we will have 60 seats or 16 seats after LS polls or not, we certainly have a classically and qualitatively different role that we have always played. This is with regard to the policies which would affect the agrarian sector, unemployed youth, women, Dalits, Adivasis and minorities who are under attack. Our fight against lynch mobs will continue more vigorously," said CPM politburo member M.A. Baby.
He said the Left would play a proactive and creative role in ensuring a non-communal government at the Centre. "We are clear about our task," Mr Baby said.
Expressing similar views, CPI national secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam said the relevance of Left was not based just on the numbers.
"Our presence among the workers and peasants is more important and relevant. But we will surely have a bigger number in Parliament compared to last time," he added.
Mr. Viswam said the Left had played a cementing role during UPA-1 period and it would continue to play the same role after polls.
The CPM leaders are not quite worried about losing national status as the party has representation in six legislative assemblies; Kerala, West Bengal, Tripura, Maharasthra, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
