Communist Party of India will not be a part of the left Front’s understanding with Congress party in West Bengal Assembly elections, the party made it clear on Tuesday.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the two-day party national executive in Hyderabad on Tuesday, the CPI general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy said that neither the CPI will support Congress nor expect Congress to support the CPI in the Assembly elections.
Sudhakar Reddy’s discordant note on the issue of left-Congress alliance in West Bengal came a day after the lF chairman Biman Bose’s announcement in Kolkatta that the two sides had reached an understanding to fight jointly against the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.
“We are part of the left Front and we are not have any adjustment with Congress. We have no discussions. As per our knowledge discussions have not taken place”, said Sudhakar Reddy.
Tuesday was the concluding day of the national executive meet which discussed the current political situation in the country in the context of forthcoming elections in many states including two left bastions West Bengal and Kerala.
Sudhakar Reddy said that the CPI will be contesting 16 seats in West Bengal and will not support Congress on any seat.
Replying to a question whether the CPI would accept with CPIM’s understanding with Congress, Sudhakar Reddy said, “we are contesting as part of left Front. Natually we have no alliance with Congress in any seat”.
The National executive also decided that it will contest 29 or 30 Assembly seats in Kerala and around 65 seats in Tamil Nadu and 18 seats in Assam as part of left parties’ front.
Commenting on the prospects in Kerala for the left front, Sudhakar Reddy said that they were bright as the United Front was defamed. He said that the final understanding among the left Democratic Front partners in Kerala will be announced in a couple of days.
He expressed hope that more parties will join the Front of CPI, CPIM, MDMK and VCK in Tamil Nadu where the front was getting good response.