The CPI(M)’s efforts to unite secular and democratic forces in the country need not result in an electoral alliance, said party’s State secretary G. Ramakrishnan.
Mr. Ramakrishnan, who has been elected to the party’s Polit Bureau in the recently held all India congress in Hyderabad, said CPI(M)’s primary objective was to work closely with the democratic and secular forces, social organisations and intellectuals on people’s issues.
“When it comes to electoral alliance, we will take into consideration the stand of political parties on neo-liberal economic policies, untouchability, corruption and communalism,” he said.
“In Tamil Nadu both the DMK and the AIADMK are embroiled in corruption,” he said, adding that the Party Plenum would be held by the end of this year to chalk out strategies to strengthen the party organisation.
Mr. Ramakrishnan was critical of the ruling AIADMK, alleging that functioning of many departments had come to a standstill after O. Panneerselvam assumed office as Chief Minister.
“This has clearly reflected the State government’s failure to resolve the wage settlement for transport workers,” he said. Asked about the State government’s decision to postpone the Global Investors Meet (GIM), he said the CPI(M) was not ready to attach any importance to the event and it was one of the many attempts by the State to roll out a red carpet for foreign companies.
Mr. Ramakrishnan also demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing of 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu in Tirupati for the alleged role in red sanders smuggling.
“When Andhra Pradesh Forest Minister Gopalakrishna Reddy has justified the shooting, the State police cannot conduct a fair inquiry into the issue. It is a false encounter,” he said and urged the Tamil Nadu government to press for a CBI probe.
