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CPI(M) for change of Government: Pinarayi

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM DEC. 6. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, has said that his party would continue to work for a change of Government in the State.

Briefing mediapersons after a two-day CPI(M) State committee meeting here today, Mr. Vijayan said that if those opposed to the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, could unseat him, his party would stand by them. ``We had taken the stand that there should be a change of government. We continue to stand by that position,'' the CPI(M) leader said in reply to questions.

He refused to comment on the negotiations now on within the Congress between the Karunakaran and Antony factions and said that was something to be discussed by the Congress and the UDF. The CPI(M) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF), he pointed out, had been waging a relentless struggle against the Antony Government on the basis of issues of concern to the people. Possibly on account of the heat generated by the Opposition campaign, one section of the Congress had also risen in protest against the Government's policies. All that the CPI(M) and the LDF had done was to express their agreement with this position, he explained.

Bypoll result: Mr. Vijayan accused the Congress and the UDF of having misused the Government machinery and played the communal card in the Thiruvalla Assembly byelection and alleged that there was even an attempt to play up the communal identity of the Chief Minister to push the cause of the UDF nominee. ``There was an attempt to mobilise Christians on this plank. This was unprecedented in the State's history,'' he said.

The CPI(M) leader said that despite this and purchase of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) votes, the United Democratic Front (UDF) could not make up for the erosion of its support base. The UDF had suffered a 4.5 per cent erosion in its votes whereas the LDF's vote share had gone up by 4 per cent. The BJP State president, P. S. Sreedharan Pillai's claim that his party had not transferred its votes to the UDF was based on the figures pertaining to past elections when there was transfer of votes. The BJP local units had already taken action against two of its leaders and there was a demand for action against a State committee member. This clearly showed that there was sale of BJP votes. The Thiruvalla poll outcome was a second blow for the UDF and the BJP after the Ernakulam Lok Sabha bypoll, he said.

Agitation: The CPI(M), he said, proposed to launch a series of agitations against the Government over various issues including corruption, neglect of traditional industries, commercialisation of education and healthcare, sharp cuts in Government jobs and breakdown in maintenance of law and order. The agitations would commence with padayatras at the area committee level of the party from January 1 to 10. The conclusion of the padayatras would be marked by a siege of the State Secretariat, district Collectorates and taluk offices on January 12.

Mr. Vijayan also came down heavily on the move to curtail drastically the number of beneficiaries for ration articles at concessional prices by changing the criteria for determining BPL (below poverty line) families. Once the new criteria took effect, only about seven lakh families in the State would remain eligible for the benefits. This would invite stiff resistance from the people, he said.

The CPI(M) leader urged the Election Commission to extend the last date for enrolment as voters.

The CPI(M), he said, had written to the Chief Electoral Officer pointing out the need for extending the deadline for enrolment as voters, but in vain.

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