Patna: The CPM's Bihar unit on Friday said the party will join hands with the RJD, the main opposition party in the state, saying it was the strongest among all antagonists of the BJP in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.

The announcement came after the party's state committee analysed the current political situation in Bihar at a two-day meeting in Patna that ended on Thursday amid two observers from the politburo, the highest decision-making body of the party.

Politburo members SR Pillai and Hannan Mollah accompanied by state secretary Awadhesh Kumar said: "We decided to form a pre-poll alliance with the RJD in the state in order to defeat the BJP in the upcoming national polls. The RJD's selection assumes significance as it enjoys mass appeal in Bihar and has a track record of never being in alliance with the BJP-led NDA governments whether at the national level or in the state."

Last month, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechuri reiterated the party's willingness to form an alliance with all political parties opposed to the BJP in Bihar if offered a "respectable" share of seats in next year's Lok Sabha election.

Awdhesh said: "The JDU-BJP coalition government in Bihar has failed on many fronts. The atrocities on Dalits and minorities have grown manifold since the day Nitish joined hands with the BJP which has digital footprints for fanning social disharmony in the country. Besides the conditions of farmers in the state has worsened due to lack of willingness to address peasants' problems."