INDIA bloc made mistakes in ticket distribution: Dipankar Bhattacharya

The INDIA bloc's performance in Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls was affected as it made "certain mistakes" there, including in ticket distribution, CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya has said.

In an interview with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters, the Left party's leader did not rule out the "Nitish Kumar factor" as also being a reason for the bloc's less than expected returns in the polls.

Bihar Chief Minister Kumar's Janata Dal (United) was in an alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress-Left 'Mahagathbandhan' grouping in Bihar and a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, but jumped to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) just before the 2024 general elections.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary hoped INDIA bloc members the RJD, the Congress and Left parties, including his CPI(ML), will do better in the assembly polls in the state next year.

While the BJP and its NDA partners JD(U),