Southern States - Tamil Nadu

CPI will woo CPI(M), Congress to forge secular alternative
By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 16. The CPI will persuade the CPI(M) to enter into an electoral understanding with the Congress to forge a ``broad secular alternative'' to both the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu, the State secretary, R. Nallakannu, said here.

The former AIADMK allies and ``secular'' parties, which have decided to keep off the Andipatti byelection, would participate in the poll in Vaniyambadi and Saidapet, where the exercise has been postponed following bogus inclusions in the voter list, he told the media here.

After the party's three-day State committee meeting, Mr. Nallakannu said the cadres in Andipatti were asked not to cast their votes.

Refuting media reports that the CPI cadres were campaigning for the AIADMK chief, Jayalalithaa, he said stern action would be initiated against any volunteer who participated in the electioneering or polling.

Rejecting the DMK president, M.Karunanidhi's plea to the Left parties that they support his party candidate, Mr. Nallakannu said the DMK had ``knowingly aligned with an evil fundamentalist force''.

Indeed, the Left parties decided not to support the AIADMK as it was getting closer to the ``fundamentalist'' BJP and pursuing the ``dangerous economic policies'' of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Unless, the DMK freed itself from the clutches of the BJP, there would be no question of ``our supporting the party''.

The State CPI's conference to be held in Dharmapuri from March 12 to 15, would focus on strategies to create a ``broad alternative secular platform'' in the State.

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