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Left parties call for Bihar bandh

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation have called for a Bihar bandh on August 24 and invited all parties, barring the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (United), to join the agitation.

"This is the prelude to a seat sharing arrangement," CPI (ML) Liberation's Ranjit Abhigyan said. The two parties indicated "flexibility" on accommodating the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) if its leader, Ram Vilas Paswan, eschewed any tie-up with the Congress and the RJD.

Earlier, the CPI (ML) Liberation stated that Mr. Paswan would have to sever ties with the Congress before deliberating on an alliance for the Bihar elections later this year.

The parties have also planned a workers' convention in Patna a week before the proposed bandh. They are hoping that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) will participate in both events.

Senior CPI leaders conceded that preliminary talks on seat-sharing had been held with the CPI (ML) Liberation, which won seven seats by itself. The parties also decided to jointly demand the ouster of Bihar Governor Buta Singh and his aide, Arun Pathak; the arrest of RJD MP Mohd. Shahabuddin and "other criminals"; food-for-work programmes and declaring the State drought-hit; and a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the flood scam.

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