CPI(M) for electoral tactics to pool anti-BJP votes

CPI(M) today maintained that the challenges posed by RSS-BJP in the country cannot be faced by an electoral alliance or understanding with Congress, but said it would work out electoral tactics to maximise the pooling of anti-BJP votes at the time of elections.

"Pooling of anti-BJP votes has to be achieved in order to unseat the BJP government.The party is of the opinion that the co-operation and support of Left and democratic forces is essential for this," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said here.

He was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on 'The rise of Communal Fascism and its challenge to Indian democracy' organised by CPI here as part of its 23rd party Congress, to be held at Kollam from April 25 to 29.

Yechury said the CPI(M)'s priority was to defeat BJP and the party programme recognises this.

He alleged that the BJP, which was controlled by RSS, has infiltrated all organs of state power and social authority.

Attacking the BJP led NDA government at the Centre, he said among the main challenges before the nation was the attempt of RSS to transform the country into a Hindu Rashtra and 'systematic destruction' of the constitutional order of the country.

"This is the challenge that we have to meet', he said, adding a policy alternative has to be generated to meet this challenge.

"Both CPI(M) and CPI have a major role to play in this regard. The party Congress of the parties will work out an alternative policy", he said.

The 22rd CPI(M) party Congress is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad between April 18-22.

Yechury flayed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's decision to withdraw 131 riot related cases and said this was the degree to which law and order has been 'subverted' under BJP rule in that state.

Senior CPI leader and party secretariat member D Raja also wanted the unification of secular and democratic forces to challenge the 'communal and fascist' threat posed by RSS-BJP in the country.

CPI State Secretary Kannam Rajendran and former KPCC President K Muraleedharan were among those who spoke.