M A I N   N E W S

CPI parts ways with Congress in Punjab
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 28
After several years of political partnership and adjustment, the CPI has decided to say goodbye to the Congress in Punjab for the time being.

“We will not contest the coming Assembly elections in partnership with the Congress. This should be clear to all concerned", asserted Dr Joginder Dayal, member of the national Executive of the party, here today.

Speaking to The Tribune, Dr Dayal said a decision in this regard was taken at a two-day meeting of the party's national Executive held on November 25 and 26 in Delhi. At the meeting a political report was presented on the issue of the coming Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Manipur.

In Punjab, the CPI would have a tie-up with the CPM, the Lok Bhalai Party and other like-minded democratic and secular forces. “Our fight in the elections will be against the Congress and the SAD-BJP combine", he said.

“Whereas we will go all out to defeat the SAD-BJP combine, our other task will be to expose the pro-rich and anti-poor and anti-farmer policies being followed by the Amarinder Singh government in Punjab", he added. “What has made us sever our ties with the Congress in Punjab is the policies pursued by Capt Amarinder Singh”, he added.

“We had held a meeting with Capt Amarinder Singh on policy issues and had urged him to follow pro-people policies. But he continued to ignore employees, unemployed youth, students, labour, farmers and others,” said Dr Dayal. The CPI had a tie-up with the Congress in the 1997 and 2002 Assembly elections. Earlier, it had contested the Assembly elections in partnership in 1977. However, the CPI had tied up with the Akalis in 1980, said Dr Dayal. In other words, the Congress and the CPI had remained close allies in the state for 35 years except for a brief period.

In Uttar Pradesh, the CPI would tie up with the Jan Morcha and its allies. There was a possibility of a broader understanding with the Congress in UP, he added.

In Manipur, the CPI and the CPM would go together. At present, the CPI had five MLAs in the Manipur Assembly. " The present government will be, perhaps, the first to one to last its full term in Manipur in the recent past", said Dr Dayal.

In Uttaranchal the CPI would contest the elections in alliance with democratic and secular forces.

He said there was also a possibility of the CPI having adjustments in the elections with the Pasla group of the CPM in Punjab." The Pasla group will not be a part of the joint front formed by the CPI, the CPM and the Lok Bhalai Party, but there could be an understanding of the CPI at the individual level with that group in certain Assembly segments", said Dr Dayal. The Pasla group had separated from the CPM about two years ago.