The Communist Party of India has opened its doors for an understanding with the secular, democratic and other Left forces to avoid the split of anti-BJP votes in the coming elections, said Binoy Viswam, Rajya Sabha member of of the CPI.
On Monday, he addressed a press conference in Hassan on the sidelines of the party’s State convention. “We are a small force in Karnataka. However, we understand that we need to play a role to defeat the BJP. The people of Karnataka are going through a difficult phase. The BJP came to power in the State thinking it would be their gateway for south India. It has failed on all fronts,” he said.
Referring to the tragedy in Chamarajanagar during COVID-19 in which 36 people died due to a shortage of oxygen, Mr. Viswa said the incident was enough to explain how the State was being administered. “I learned that a young director has chosen the story of this tragic incident for his movie. I would appreciate the director for his selection,” he said.
Replying to a question on the Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Mr. Viswam said Rahul Gandhi had not been able to bring leaders of his party together, how would he bring India together? “
Further, referring to political developments in Rajasthan, the Member of Parliament said Congress leaders were not listening to their party leader Rahul Gandhi. It had been a Herculean task for him to keep his party together. “In the last few years 10 leaders, those who were Chief Ministers during the Congress rule, had joined the BJP. Such a thing never happened in the Left parties,” he said.
CPI State secretary Sathi Sundaresh said the party was prepared to work with secular, democratic and other Left parties to work out strategies necessary to defeat the BJP in the coming elections. Corruption had been rampant in the State and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was dancing to the tunes of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha. “The victims of communal violence are youths from poor families. The State Government is discriminating against a particular community even in sanctioning compensation. This is unconstitutional,” he said.
CPI secretary of Hassan district unit M.C. Dongre was present. As many as 189 delegates of the party are attending the three-day convention that will conclude on Tuesday.
