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Karat rules out mid-term polls

CHANDIGARH: While seeking to dismiss speculations on mid-term polls, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary, Prakash Karat, on Sunday said that the general elections would be held in 2009 only.

However, he remained non-committal on the progress of the UPA-Left co-ordination committee.

Mr. Karat was talking to reporters, after he addressed delegates of the Punjab unit of the party at the Baba Sohan Singh Bhakhna Bhawan as part of the CPI(M) plan to reach out to the people and create awareness about the “negative impact” of the India-US bilateral agreement on nuclear cooperation. He also released a 28-page booklet published in Punjabi on the issue, to be distributed across the State.

Responding to a statement by the former Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani over possible mid-term polls, Mr. Karat said. “Advani has a direct connection with divinity.” Meanwhile, he parried various supplementary questions on the topic as “too hypothetical.”

On the nuclear deal, Mr. Karat reiterated his warning that it was not a simple issue of augmenting the country’s civil nuclear capacity, but a military, economic, strategic and political partnership between the Bush administration and the Manmohan Singh government.

He said that while the CPI(M) was not against more nuclear power, under no circumstances would it allow the country to become a strategic ally of the U.S..

Accusing the media of misrepresenting the statements of senior party leaders, Mr. Karat denied any differences within the party over the issue.

The Communist leader also took exception to the Government of India “dancing to the tunes of CEOs” of India and the U.S., who are participating in a joint meeting at New York these days.

He said that while the CPI(M) was not against any business meetings, the UPA government must explain the presence of its Finance Minister, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Secretaries of various departments on the flanks, granting an official status to the event, which was being organised according to the Manmohan Singh-George Bush communiqué.

Mr. Karat sought a high-level probe into the deal for purchase of wheat from the international market, which carried the potential to cause losses to the exchequer, depriving the Indian farmers off their due and demolishing the Public Distribution System (PDS).

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