The Hindu : New Delhi News : Four parties forge a new alliance for MCD polls

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

Four parties forge a new alliance for MCD polls

Staff Reporter

Top leaders likely to address a rally on February 11

A NEW BEGINNING: Jan Morcha leader Raj Babbar flanked by Delhi State NCP president Ramvir Singh Bidhuri (left) and Delhi State CPI secretary Amarjit Kaur addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday to announce the formation of Pragatisheel Jan Morcha to fight the forthcoming municipal elections. — PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

NEW DELHI: Four political parties -- Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI), Nationalist Congress Party and Jan Morcha -- have forged a new alliance called Pragatisheel Jan Morcha (PJM) to contest the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections.

Top leaders of all the four parties, including CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI general secretary A. B. Bardhan, NCP president Sharad Pawar and former Prime Minister and Jan Morcha leader V. P. Singh are expected to address a rally of the alliance at Ramlila Maidan here on February 11.

In a joint statement issued here by Delhi State leaders of the four parties on Tuesday, it was announced that the PJM would contest all the seats in the MCD elections.

Full Statehood for Delhi and Mayor-in-Council in the civic body to give more powers to the deliberative wing would be the two main issues during the poll campaign.

According to Delhi NCP president and MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the four-party alliance has been formed to give the people of Delhi a "perfect alternative" to the Congress and the BJP "who have failed to live up to the expectations of the people".

A detailed election manifesto of the alliance would be announced shortly, he added.

Mr. Bidhuri, who is also the convenor of PJM, said the citizens of Delhi had been victims of misrule and the anti-people policies being pursued by the Congress and the BJP through their control over the State Government and the MCD.

They had betrayed all sections of society, with the poor and the deprived being the worst hit, he added.

Claiming that the new alliance would wipe out both the Congers and the BJP in the municipal polls, Mr. Bidhuri said all the constituents of the PJM had always been in the forefront fighting for the causes of the people of Delhi. This wide support to all the parties would ensure a big win for their alliance, he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi