The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : CPI leader rules out ‘third alternative’

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

CPI leader rules out ‘third alternative’

Special Correspondent

Resolution by State Assembly must for carving out Telangana, says party general secretary A.B. Bardhan

CPI general secretary rules out any alliance with the TRS
Opposes move to create Bundelkhand state

HYDERABAD: The Communist Party of India (CPI) is sceptical about the emergence of a ‘Third Alternative’ before the next general elections, but is categorical in asserting that a resolution by Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly is essential for carving out separate Telangana state.

Fielding a volley of questions at a ‘Meet the Press’ programme organised by the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists here on Friday, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan hinted at States-specific poll agreements. Asserting that the party preferred a third alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr. Bardhan said the Left parties should have closer coordination and broader unity that would eventually lead to the formation of a third alternative

Asked if the CPI anticipated mid-term polls, he said it was for the UPA Government to decide whether it wanted to advance the elections.

He reiterated the party’s stand against Indo-US nuke deal stating that the US was keener than India on signing the deal.

China’s internal issue

On the Tibet issue, Mr. Bardhan he said it was the internal matter of China and faulted the Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama for holding discussions with US representative in India.

Clarifying that the CPI had neither given the green signal nor gone back on its promise to support the creation of separate Telangana State, Mr. Bardhan said the confusion arose due to three lines mentioned in the political resolution that was drafted by him.

“We will not stand in the way of the Bill, if the same is introduced in the Parliament,” Mr. Bardhan said and referred to the letter written by the party to Pranab Mukherjee, chairman of the UPA sub-committee on Telangana.

He found fault with TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao and sought to know why he did not consult other parties before launching a movement for separate statehood. Ruling out any alliance with the TRS, he strongly opposed the move of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to create Bundelkhand state.

Non committal

Mr. Bardhan was non committal when asked if the CPI would have poll alliance with either the Congress or the TDP in the State in the next elections.

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