CPI(M) has only seat-sharing arrangement with AIADMK: Yechury

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, MAY 6. The CPI(M) has tactically distanced itself from the process of Government formation in Tamil Nadu, should the AIADMK-led front come to power, Mr. Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) politburo member, said here today. ``We have only a seat-sharing arrangement with the AIADMK and have nothing to do with the Congress or other parties who have a similar agreement. There is no joint front or campaign.''

Talking to The Hindu, he said that if the AIADMK won the election, it was up to the party to elect its leader. The CPI(M) had nothing to do with that process. ``Our main objective in Tamil Nadu is to defeat the communal forces and prevent division of votes that could provide an advantage to them. The DMK lost its credibility after aligning with the BJP,'' he said.

Asked about his party's views on the rejection of Ms. Jayalalitha's nomination papers and the acceptance of Mr. Balakrishna Pillai's, Mr. Yechury said ``There is a lacuna in law which caused this. So long as the Election Commission's 1997 directive is in force, the nomination of persons with a conviction will be rejected. As for Mr. Pillai, a vague clause in Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act resulted in its acceptance. That was tailored to suit Indira Gandhi's case after the Allahabad High Court order.''

Mr. Yechury, who is here to campaign for the ``secular forces'', said the Left Front was confident of being voted back to power in West Bengal, in what could be a historical victory in parliamentary democracy.

Asked about the prospects in Kerala, he said, ``it will be touch and go. We have to reckon with this alternating pattern in Kerala''. He was clear that the AGP-BJP combine would be defeated in Assam. Mr. Yechury said the Left expected a ``churning process'' to begin after the May 10 Assembly elections and a ``new political polarisation'' to follow.

``The disenchantment of the NDA is already palpable. Once the results are out, this will sharpen and lead to instability, making it difficult for the NDA Government to remain in power,'' he said.

The immediate fallout of the elections will be the strengthening of the third force - the People's Front - which will get enlarged and strengthened.

Though the objective of the Left was to provide a non- Congress, non-BJP alternative to people, he said that could be achieved only after the fall of the NDA Government. ``It all depends on how this Government will fall and if we have to work within the arithmetic of the present Lok Sabha or go in for a fresh election.''

He said it was the ``lack of firmness'' in the Congress, in dealing with political and ideological issues, that raised serious concern. ``As far as the Congress is concerned, it has not been communal, but has constantly compromised with communal elements. That is why we want to provide a credible alternative to people.''

Earlier, participating in a ``meet the press'' programme at the Madras Reporters Guild, Mr. Yechury accused the Vajpayee Government of attempting to seek a ``U.S. surrogate in South Asia'' status by supporting the National Missile Defence (NMD) plan of the Bush administration.

Criticising the Vajpayee administration for `deviating' from settle foreign affairs and nuclear policies, he said, ``our stand has been for taking the initiative to end the nuclear arms race and that nuclear weapons are not an answer to our requirements. The NMD plan will trigger a new and qualitatively higher level of arms race''.

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