At the time of the last parliamentary election, 2009, the CPI (M) manifesto said that in the post-independence India people have exercised their right to vote and strengthen democracy for a long time but their aspirations have remained unfulfilled. “The rich, urban and rural, have reaped the benefits of “development”, while the vast majority has sunk further and further into poverty and hunger.” The manifesto also explained that the CPI (M) constantly demanded increased allocations in agriculture, education and health in keeping with the promises in the Common Minimum Program (CMP). The party demanded measures to curb the communal forces and strengthen the secular principles, and emphasized the pursuit of an independent foreign policy. However, the Congress-led government did not adhere to the understanding of the CMP. The government persisted in pushing through neo-liberal, anti-people policies and violating the commitment for an independent foreign policy. All this led to withdrawal of their support.

The manifesto of CPI (M) identified a number of problems for political action:

• Price rise.

• Contractualization of labor.

• Danger of communalism.

• Terrorism, failure of the police and security agencies in terrorist attacks, and indiscriminate rounding up of innocent Muslim youths, detaining them and torturing them.

• Maoist violence, regional chauvinism and violation of federalism.

• Corruption.

• Lack of independent foreign policy and strategic dependence on USA.

• Nuclear deal by misleadingly raising the issue of shortage of uranium.

• Communalism and the negative role of BJP in ameliorating the conditions of Muslims.