Still open to tie-up with CPI, JSP: CPI(M)

CPI(M) State secretary P Madhu . Photo:C_V_SUBRAHMANYAM.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) is still open to alliance with the Jai Samaikyandhra Party (JSP) and CPI.

CPI (M) State secretary P. Madhu told reporters after a meeting with party leaders here that they had decided to go ahead with filing nominations for 38 Assembly and three Lok Sabha seats in Telangana and four Lok Sabha including Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Araku and Tirupati and 45 Assembly seats in Seemandhra.

“We will withdraw candidates if we enter into an alliance,” he said ruling out any seat-sharing arrangement with YSR Congress. He said they had decided to strive hard to defeat the Congress as well as the TDP-BJP alliance.

‘Naidu policy exposed’

Coming down heavily on the TDP, he said the ‘double-tongued’ policy of its president N. Chandrababu Naidu stood thoroughly exposed with his decision to issue letter of support for bifurcation and later declaring that his party was opposed to division of the State. He said after so many tall claims, he had now aligned with the BJP.

Mr. Madhu said his party would field State secretariat member Ch. Narsinga Rao and former MP M. Babu Rao respectively for Visakhapatnam and Araku Lok Sabha constituencies. The party will have nine nominees in Visakhapatnam district.

Stating that division or no division, their party was committed to take up the cause of aganwadi, hamali, municipal and other neglected sections in both the regions, he said the problems remain the same despite the division into two States.

Mr. Narsinga Rao, who was present, said the CPI (M) would always champion the cause of the marginalised sections, fight for introduction of reservations in private sector and oppose disinvestment of public sector institutes.

He said due to the decision to disinvest in Hindustan Zinc Limited during NDA regime, its Zinc Smelter n the city got closed a year ago and declared that they would fight tooth nail against move to privatise Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.