Moopanar, Bardhan discuss political situation

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JAN. 4. The TMC president, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, and the CPI general secretary, Mr. A.B. Bardhan, today discussed the political scenario in the state, particularly with reference to the coming Assembly elections.

Emerging from the residence of Mr. Moopanar in Abiramapuram here after a 30-minute meeting, Mr. Bardhan said, ``we exchanged views on the political situation''.

Answering questions on a third front, he said the concept of third front was relevant only in the national context. As for Tamil Nadu, ``we have to get all the secular forces together'', he said, adding that in states such as Kerala and West Bengal, there existed only two principal political formations.

To a question on the possibility of the PMK joining the AIADMK- led front, the CPI leader said he had no knowledge of it. He also termed as unfortunate the emergence of caste-based parties.

Asked for his response on the CPI(M) leader, Mr. Harkishen Singh Surjeet's statement of ``power first, sharing next'', Mr. Moopanar said ``let us see when the situation arises''. Adverting to questions on the caste-based parties, the TMC leader asked ``how will you judge political parties as casteist?''.

Certain casteist parties had been in existence and they had been accepted in due course. ``Some parties play the caste card in a sneaky way while some others do it openly''.

To a reporter's suggestion on banning the caste-based parties, the TMC leader shot back, ``If what they are doing is wrong, why do you give them so much importance?''.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : CPI(M) to finalise poll strategy by January-end
Next     : Bomb hurled in robbery bid: 2 held after chase