By IANS,
New Delhi : With a seat-sharing pact between the Left and the AIADMK for the April 13 assembly elections expected to be sealed soon, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday said that there was no indication of the latter forming an alliance with the Congress in Tamil Nadu.
“There is no such indication,” CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters here.
The Left is in an alliance with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.
However, with seat-sharing talks between the Congress and the DMK collapsing and the latter withdrawing its ministers and saying it would provide only issue-based support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre, there is speculation that the AIADMK may step in and support the UPA.
Karat said that he was in touch with parties with which his party could tie-up for the Tamil Nadu polls.
“We are in the midst of finalising the seat-sharing agreement with the AIADMK, and are in constant touch with parties in Tamil Nadu. As far as the Congress and the DMK are concerned, you will see what will happen,” Karat said.
He admitted that the Left parties in Tamil Nadu may benefit from the DMK-Congress rift.
“This dispute will benefit us. Alliances have a big role in Tamil Nadu elections and if one alliance breaks, the other will benefit,” he said.
The CPI-M and the Communist Party of India (CPI) are in talks with J. Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK for a seat-sharing agreement in Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa had earlier in an interview to a TV channel said that her party would support the Congress if it took action against DMK leader and former communications minister A. Raja in the spectrum allocation scandal.
Karat also said that the Congress-DMK relation has been in trouble earlier and the two parties may well settle it.
“Trouble within the UPA is nothing new. Earlier, too, they had differences over ministerial berths. It is up to them. They will sort it out, I think,” he said.
Talking about its plans for assembly elections in the other states, the CPI-M released a list of its 17 candidates in Assam. Karat said that the details for West Bengal and Kerala will be decided after the state committees forward their lists of candidates.
The party appealed to voters in West Bengal and Kerala to re-elect the left parties, saying that their major opponents in both the states were allies of the Congress-led UPA, which gave rise to inflation and corruption.
“The Congress and its TMC (Trinamool Congress in West Bengal) and UDF (United Democratic Front in Kerala) allies should be defeated as they are responsible for acute price rise, massive corruption and attacks on the livelihood of the people,” Karat said.
Asked if West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan would contest the polls, Karat said: “Comrade Bhattacharjee will lead the election battle in West Bengal.”
He, however, eluded any direct reply on Achuthanandan.
“Achuthanandan is a member of the central committee and Bhattacharjee of the politburo. Both are among the highest ranks in the party,” he said.
Raising other issues, Karat also attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the appointment of P.J. Thomas as the central vigilance commissioner (CVC), which the Supreme Court has struck down.
“The role of the prime minister in handling the 2G spectrum allocation and the CVC’s appointment is the issue. We have to wait for his statement in parliament since he has said he will make one,” he said.
Karat also demanded the rehabilitation of and jobs for Indians evacuated from Libya in the wake of the violent anti-regime protests in the north African country.