It would be a huge embarrassment for CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechuri. His own party has refused to renominate him to the Rajya Sabha citing party rules. The CPM has a rule that no person, however high his position might be, would not be renominated to Rajya Sabha for more than two times. Yechuri has already been nominated twice.
The Kerala unit of the party, which is in power refused to renominate him and the Bengal unit, which can only send its candidate to Rajya Sabha if the Congress transferred it vote, has given the ticket to former Kolkata mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. The Congress too has agreed to transfer its votes if Bikash is the candidate. This means the doors are closed for Yechuri. Left and the Congress together have 51 MLAs. However, at least 26 MLAs belonging to both the parties are already working with the BJP but continue in their respective parties as MLAs.
If they cross-vote, even the victory of Bikash is in doubt. There is another buzz that the Bengal unit was reluctant to nominate Yechuri because it was apprehensive of cross-voting leading to Yechuri's defeat. His defeat would be a huge loss of face for the party.
The Kerala unit of the party, which is in power refused to renominate him and the Bengal unit, which can only send its candidate to Rajya Sabha if the Congress transferred it vote, has given the ticket to former Kolkata mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. The Congress too has agreed to transfer its votes if Bikash is the candidate. This means the doors are closed for Yechuri. Left and the Congress together have 51 MLAs. However, at least 26 MLAs belonging to both the parties are already working with the BJP but continue in their respective parties as MLAs.
If they cross-vote, even the victory of Bikash is in doubt. There is another buzz that the Bengal unit was reluctant to nominate Yechuri because it was apprehensive of cross-voting leading to Yechuri's defeat. His defeat would be a huge loss of face for the party.