The Hindu : CPI(M) to support Cong. in A.P. polls

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Sunday, Nov 16, 2003

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CPI(M) to support Cong. in A.P. polls

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 15. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today decided to extend support to the Congress and work for the defeat of the Telugu Desam Party - BJP alliance in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections.

The party has decided to contest only in seats where it has an effective presence and appealed to the Left and secular parties to supports its candidates.

The CPI (M) stand was arrived at a two-day meeting of the central committee at Kolkata, which ended today. The meeting, which was held especially to take stock of the developments in Andhra Pradesh and draw up an electoral strategy, adopted a resolution that could pave way for greater unity among the Opposition parties in the State.

On Friday, the Congress, too, had appealed to all secular parties to work together for the defeat of the TDP-BJP combine in the State.

Though the resolution did not make any direct reference that the party would support the Congress, it said: "the CPI(M) in Andhra Pradesh will work for the defeat of the TDP-BJP alliance in the forthcoming assembly elections.

For this, the Andhra Pradesh State Committee will appeal to all secular and democratic forces to support our candidates just as we will be extending support to the candidates of the left and secular parties who can defeat the TDP-BJP in areas where we are not contesting. The party will work against the TDP-BJP combine," the resolution said.

After coordination with the Congress in Parliament, the CPI (M) move would also take forward the ties between the two parties to the electoral field. Last year, during the Gujarat Assembly polls, the CPI and the CPI(M) had decided to contest along with the Congress in view of the special circumstances.

The Left parties, which earlier had an understanding with the TDP, had snapped its ties with the ruling party ahead of the 1999 Assembly polls.

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