Patna, Jan 13 (IANS) The three main communist parties in Bihar have joined hands to strengthen Left unity ahead of the parliamentary elections in April-May and also decided on preliminary seat-sharing. The three Left parties - Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Communist Party of India- Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) - have joined hands to contest the next parliamentary elections together, unlike in the past. This development may give sleepless nights to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), particularly former chief minister Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

“We have not only joined hands, but also decided on the preliminary seat sharing modalities for the parliamentary elections,” former CPI MP and convenor of the left coordination committee Jalaluddin Ansari said.

However, Ansari said the Left unity moves would not compromise their individual party lines.

The three parties would also launch a joint mass movement to highlight public issues. “The Left parties will forge a joint mass struggle to expose the anti-people policies of the state and central government and mobilize people,” Ansari said.

The three will hold their first joint protest Jan 28 here against the “poor distribution of relief” among the 3.5 million flood affected people and the “half hearted measures” for their rehabilitation, a Left spokesperson said.

People in flood-hit Madhepura, Supaul, Saharsa, Araria and Purnia districts continue to fight for survival nearly five months after the Kosi river changed course and flooded large swathes of land, displacing millions of people.

In the past, the CPI and CPI-M had joined hands with the RJD and supported its candidates during elections. But CPI-ML is now against any move to support the RJD or Congress.

The CPI’s base has eroded in Bihar in the last two decades. It once used to be a major political force with strong support base in rural areas.

The CPI-M is also not a major political force, except for a few pockets of influence across the state.

Among the three parties, the CPI-ML has emerged as the main political force in Bihar.