TRICHY/CHENNAI: CPI and CPM have decided to contest the Oct 6 byelections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, emphasising their position of political non-alignment with TVK while backing its govt to “keep BJP away”.CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Sunday announced his party would contest in Madurantakam and that CPI would field a candidate in Dharapuram. The candidates would be announced on Sept 15, said CPI state secretary M Veerapandian.The decision was taken at state committee meetings of the two parties in Trichy and Chennai. Their support for the TVK-led govt, however, would continue, the leaders said.Though CPI and CPM have been critical of TVK, the decision has come as a surprise for many because the Left would have to campaign against the govt they support, said political watchers.Defending the decision, Shanmugam said support for the govt does not mean CPM should not adopt a position to strengthen the organisation. He said contesting the byelections did not mean that CPM was threatening the stability of TVK govt.“Nor does it mean that we support DMK. Left parties are not part of any of the three alliances. This is not a general election or an election to change govt,” he said.Veerapandian echoed the same. The Left leaders said the bypolls would be used to strengthen their presence in the assembly and amplify the voice of workers and ordinary people.“There was a strong sentiment in our executive committee meeting for this position,” he said. Shanmugam took an indirect dig at TVK for accommodating the resigned AIADMK MLAs, which has resulted in the bypoll.“We have said it was wrong for two MLAs — who won on the AIADMK symbol in the assembly election — to resign and join TVK, and that horse-trading was involved,” he said.He said their campaign would focus on TVK govt’s performance and the issues on which the Left had differed with it.“We have expressed our differences of opinion on many occasions, including the budget. We have urged ministers on what laws should be passed and not passed. A few were accepted, but many were not. We have urged that the legislative assembly should serve as a democratic forum for discussing people’s issues. All this will find focus in the campaign,” he said.Veerapandian said drug abuse, law and order problems and lack of infrastructure would be raised in their campaignThe decision is seen as an extension of the Left’s stand of “supporting the govt to prevent a BJP intrusion”. The Left skipped an alliance meeting chaired by the CM, marking the second such successive boycott.
