CPI says no to mid-term polls

New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) The CPI today ruled out the possibility of mid-term polls despite the UPA government's "deliberate failure" to contain price rise, unemployment, FDI in retail and disinvesting power PSUs and reminded the Congress that it would have to pay a heavy price for not correcting the mistakes of the previous NDA regime.

"Let us say it categorically that we don't want the mid-term polls even as we know that the near three years rule of the Manmohan Singh government have played havoc with the lives of the 'Aam Aadmi', the farmers and the working classes," CPI leaders told mediapersons.

At a joint press conference on the eve of the Budget session of Parliament, CPI Floor leader in the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta and senior leader S Sudhakar Reddy said they would like the UPA government to complete its full five-year term.

They further added that "the failure of the government cannot be attributed to the misdeeds of the earlier regime only, since the Congress Government had enough time to correct and undo the gross distortions committed by the previous government of BJP, it is unfortunate that the government we support has not dared to break with the past." "Let the people know how the UPA government fared and the role of the Left on all crucial issues," the CPI leaders replied to repeated questions on why the Left continued to support the UPA government, even when it pointed out its failure to procure food grains from the open market hoarding.

The CPI leaders said they would "collectively" demand a separate and immediate discussion on price rise in the Budget session just after the President's address to Parliament.

They said they would like to know from the government whether it has the courage to take on the hoarders and the black marketeers to contain price rise and come out with an emergency contingency plan for the revival of agriculture and protection of farmers and agricutural workers.

Besides, the Special Economic Zone policy had to be abandoned to stop free sale of the agricultural land in reality for the growth of real estate businees.

They also came down heavily on the government moves to permit FDI in higher education and agriculture.

They also took strong view of the recent trend of acquiring private coporations in foreign countries by Indian domestic giants with lavish loans from Indian banks, which was only a diversion of domestic resources for turning Indian corporations into trans-national companies for super profit with no benefit to the country's economy.

Mr Dasgupta deplored that while Finance Minister P Chidambaram stuck to his guns and never came out with a specific reply how he proposed to contain the price rise, "we rarely find a leadership leading the party and feeling the pulse of the masses." The CPI leaders made a strong case for completion of as many as 400 irrigation projects in various parts of the country, uninterrupted power supply to farmers, the continuation of the subsidy for them, remunerative prices for agricultural produicts and a comprehensive legislaiton to provide social security for agricultural labourers.

On rising unemployment, the CPI leaders said whatever job is created is mainly distress job to give a decent life. "The glare of high rise shopping malls cannot cover up the deep darkness of mounting unemployment and stagnating poverty." UNI