'Secular,de'cratic Left platform needed against Sangh Parivar'

The Tripura assembly poll results indicated the need for a secular, democratic, Left platform to resist Sangh Parivar's growth and CPI would move ahead with its work in this regard, party state secretary Kanam Rajendran said here today.
"The results of the Tripura assembly polls indicate the need for the formation of a secular, democratic Left platform to oppose the growth of Sangh Parivar. CPI will move ahead with its work for strengthening this platform," he said.
BJP got a majority on its own in Tripura and won over two-thirds of seats with its ally IPFT, ending the 25 year reign of the CPI(M).

The party won 43 seats, while CPI(M) won just 16.
Rajendran was speaking to reporters after his election as secretary of the state CPI unit on the concluding day of the party's four-day state conference here.
CPI is the second largest partner in the CPI(M) led ruling Left Demorcratic Front.

To a question on differences of opinion between the two parties on various issues, he said it was only natural these would be there as CPI and CPI(M) are two different parties.
"Though differences of opinion exists between our parties, we are the closest mainstream parties. What unites us is the election manifesto and we have not or will not oppose it," he added.

Earlier, the 67-year-old Rajendran was elected unopposed as CPI state secretary for a second three-year term.
His name was proposed by CPI National secretary Sudhakar Reddy.
The strength of the State CPI Council has now risen to 96 from 89 after the reconstitution.