By PTI
HYDERABAD: The CPI(M) would work towards maximising the pooling of “anti-BJP” votes in the five poll-bound states and will support the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury said here on Sunday.
The party’s central committee meeting discussed the forthcoming Assembly elections in five states and the objective will be to pool together the anti-BJP votes, the CPI(M) leader said.
“Our primary task would be to defeat the BJP and based on the concrete situation in each state we will adopt appropriate electoral tactics to maximise the pooling of anti-BJP votes,” he told reporters after the conclusion of the party’s three-day central committee meeting.
Yechury said the Samajwadi Party is the major force fighting against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh and “so we will support Samajwadi Party”.
Whether there will be any seat adjustment and alliance in UP will be left to the Samajwadi Party, which will have to take the initiative, he said adding, “We have declared that we will work for the defeat of the BJP”.
Reacting to a query on electoral tie-ups in other states, he said, “First, we will have discussions with state units and with Left parties and decision will be taken shortly”.
On a possible electoral alliance with the ruling TRS in Telangana, he said it may be decided when elections come.
He alleged the BJP and central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been an “all-round failure”.
It is total mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian economy has actually moved into a recession, there is growing unemployment, price rise, petroleum prices are increasing regularly, the CPI(M) leader said.
Yechury again described the electoral bonds scheme as “legalised political corruption”.
“At this time for Assembly elections, the government issued through the SBI a new tranche of electoral bonds worth thousands of crores of rupees. Eighty per cent of these electoral bonds actually finance and feed the BJP,” he claimed.
“In this backdrop, we are asking the Election Commission to ensure there is a level-playing field for every contestant in these Assembly elections. Without a level-playing field, the Election Commission cannot fulfill its constitutional mandate of conducting free and fair elections,” he said.
The CPI(M) general secretary further said the Election Commission should be vigilant and protect the rights of other parties other than the ruling party in such a situation where the BJP is staring at certain defeat in major states going to polls.
“Anybody who violates the Model Code of Conduct, including the Prime Minister himself, must be brought to book in accordance with Election Commission’s norms. We expect that the Election Commission will discharge its duties as the Constitution of India mandates the Election Commission to do so,” he said.
Reacting to another question on a national-level alliance and association with other political parties, Yechury said in India whenever elections are due these sort of discussions begin over a third front, fourth front or regional parties’ front but eventually the government is formed by a front that is formed after the election.
No pre-election front in India can succeed because of the entire diversity that is there in our country, he said, adding that all decisions will be taken state-wise as and when elections approach in that state or when general elections approach in the country.
“Anybody who takes any position against the BJP, we welcome it. How that will translate into an electoral understanding will depend on the situation at the time of elections that will emerge in all the states,” the former Rajya Sabha member said.
“The situation will be different from state to state…the objective is to defeat the BJP. And after elections, the national formation and the front will emerge,” he said.
On the alleged hate speeches delivered at a Dharma Sansad in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, Yechury said the party’s central committe strongly condemned it and said the Supreme Court should take suo-motu cognisance of the event and action must be taken.
