The Hindu : CPI(M) support for Cong. in A.P. comes with riders

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 17, 2003

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CPI(M) support for Cong. in A.P. comes with riders

By K.V. Prasad

NEW DELHI NOV. 16. The decision of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to support the Congress against the ruling Telugu Desam Party-Bharatiya Janata Party combine in Andhra Pradesh comes with several riders. Having decided to support Left and secular parties, including the Congress, in the Assembly election, the CPI(M) today said it did not have any direct understanding or talks with the Congress; would launch an independent campaign; and not support any candidate who subscribed to or joined a platform that advocated a separate Telengana State.

On the resolution adopted by the party's Central Committee at Kolkata, the CPI(M) politburo member, Prakash Karat, told The Hindu here today that the objective was to work for the defeat of the TDP-BJP combine. The State Committee would shortlist and finalise the seats the party would contest. The only concession would be to consult the CPI so that there was no clash between the two Left parties.

The CPI and the CPI(M), which had an understanding with the TDP between 1983 and 1998, together had some six per cent vote share. Both have a hold in Nalgonda and Khammam districts. However, in the 1999 Assembly polls when the Left parties contested independently, the vote share fell to less than four per cent. Last time the CPI-CPI(M) fielded nearly 100 candidates for the 294-strong Assembly. This time around, the CPI(M) is likely to contest on a much smaller scale.

Unlike in 1999, when the Left parties failed to mobilise the votes against the TDP-BJP in spite of contesting on their own, the CPI(M) is of the view that the sustained campaign carried out against the TDP during the past five years would make a difference this time and translate into anti-ruling combine votes.

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