Bypoll: CPI(M) ready to support Congress

Madurai, Feb 25 (UNI) The CPI(M) is ready to extend support to the Congress in the Madurai West Assembly constituency bypoll, CPI(M) State Secretary N Varadarajan said today.

Stating this during a media-conference here, Mr Varadarajan said the CPI(M) had no problem in Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) fielding a Congress nominee for the seat, which fell vacant offer the demise of AIADMK Legislator S V Shanmugham.

The Congress, a constituent of the DMK-led DPA, had unsuccessfully contested the seat last time.

However, the party would make its position public after the State Committee meeting, scheduled for March one at Chennai, he added.

Explaining the party's outside support to the Karunanidhi Government, he said the CPI(M) was open about the disagreements with the ruling party.

The Chennai Corporation elections, over which the party had approached the High Court, was cited as an example to highlight the CPI(M)'s unconditional support.

Asked about the party adopting double standards with regard to the Cauvery and Mullaperiyar disputes, Mr Varadarajan said the CPI(M)'s concern was that inter-state disputes should never be allowed to divide the people.

According to him, there was no double standard in the party's stand, calling for honouring the Cauvery Tribunal's final verdict even while seeking a dialogue to resolve the row over raising the storage in the Periyar dam to 142 ft as per the Supreme Court's direction.

UNI