Terming the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) a “shadow of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)”, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Tuesday ruled out any electoral understanding with the regional party for the upcoming panchayat and civic body polls.
The CPI(M) held its 22nd State Committee meeting recently at Rourkela where the party’s national general secretary Sitaram Yechury attended as a speaker. Ali Kishore Pattnaik has been re-elected the party Odisha’s State secretary.
“The biggest crisis being faced by Odisha now is the growth of the BJP in the State, and the BJD is solely responsible for installing the BJP here. The promotion of Hindutva and the communal division of society, which the BJP espouses, are also being witnessed in Odisha,” Mr. Pattnaik said.
“The BJD is not ready to confront the BJP politically. The BJD has been working as an undeclared ally of the BJP in the State. The regional party has extended support to all the anti-people programmes of the BJP, including anti-farmer and anti-labour laws both inside and outside the Parliament,” he said.
The CPI(M) leader said economic policies that suit the corporate world are being implemented in Odisha.
“The Shah Commission pointed out irregularities worth ₹68,000 crore in the mining sector. The State Government is not ready to collect it from mining lessees,” Mr. Pattnaik said.
“Had there been any economic development in Odisha, about 20-22 lakh unemployed youths would not have migrated to other States for work,” he said.
The CPI(M) secretary said, “We will approach the next panchayat and civic body polls as a united Left front. If any proposal comes from the Congress, we will decide ahead of the elections.”
Panchayat and civic body polls are likely to be held in Odisha early next year.
“During the past three years, the BJP has been steadily losing its political clout in the country. In Odisha, the BJP is trying to increase its strength. The saffron party has no moral right to raise the Mamita Meher murder issue as it kept silent in the Lakhimpur-Kheri massacre [in U.P.]. The party shielded the Minister whose son mowed down farmers,” said Janardan Pati, a veteran CPI(M) leader.
Mr. Pati said both the BJP and the BJD were trying to wipe out the Congress party from Odisha’s political landscape and establish their “two-party system in the State”.
