CPM to contest 15 assembly seats in HP

Shimla, Mar 2 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh unit of the CPM today said it has decided to contest elections for 15 assembly seats in the state in the next elections, due in February next year.

'The party will have an alliance with the CPI in the assembly elections and urge the people to vote against both the Congress and the BJP for following anti-people policies during their tenures,'' party secretary Rakesh Singha said in a release here.

Accusing the Himachal Government of following the ruinous policies of liberalisation during the last four years, he said these policies have adversely affected the living condition of the people of the state.

Mr Singha said it was implementing the policies of liberalisation for the benefit of big industrial houses at the expense of the common man.

The huge investment in various parts of Himachal due to the central industrial package had not provided any succour to the working people with the conditions becoming bad to worse, he said.

He said the agricultural crisis was deepening in the state with the government reducing subsidies and cost of agricultural production increasing substantially.

The rising prices of essential commodities in the state have also aggravated the condition of the common man, he said.

The CPM leader said its campaign in the state would be launched by party polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury from Kinnuar district.

UNI