Chennai,Sept 13
The Left parties have decided to contest the Assembly bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram independently while continuing their outside support to the ruling TVK government.
The CPM will field a candidate in Madurantakam, while the CPI will contest Dharapuram. The decision followed separate meetings of the state leaderships of both parties on Saturday.
CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the move was taken in consultation with the CPI and CPI(ML) Liberation. He noted that the Left parties were not part of any of Tamil Nadu’s three existing political alliances.
Shanmugam said the bypolls would neither determine the survival of the government nor result in a change of administration. The CPM and CPI had, therefore, decided to contest one constituency each under the Left banner.
The candidates will be introduced at a meeting of the state secretaries of the CPM, CPI and CPI(ML) Liberation in Chennai on September 15. September 16 is the last date for filing nominations.
CPI state secretary M Veerapandian confirmed that the party would maintain its position of remaining outside all existing alliances. He said the CPI had extended outside support to the TVK government after the Assembly election to respect the people’s mandate and prevent indirect interference in the administration by the Governor or the BJP.
Both leaders clarified that contesting the bypolls would not lead to the withdrawal of support to the government. However, the Left parties would raise their disagreements with the government during the campaign, particularly over parts of the Budget and the implementation of liberal economic policies.
Shanmugam also criticised the two former AIADMK legislators whose resignations and subsequent entry into TVK necessitated the bypolls. The CPM would seek support from parties outside the three major alliances.
He also urged the government to disclose details of foreign investments and provide stronger financial, taxation and credit assistance to domestic and small-scale industries.
