Left parties at loggerheads in AP over bypolls

Hyderabad, Apr 25: Fraternal cousins CPI and CPI(M) are engaged in a war of words in Andhra Pradesh over the bypolls to 18 assembly and one Lok Sabha seat scheduled to be held in June this year.

The exchange of words has turned bitter with the CPI state secretary K Narayana suspecting a 'secret agenda' of the CPI(M) over its stance in the bye-elections.

Observing that the bypolls did not have much significance, the CPI decided not to field the nominees, but instead support the TDP so as to effectively fight the ruling Congress and the YSR Congress of Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is facing allegations of corruption.

Both, the CPI as well as the CPI(M) have been allies of the TDP for a long in Andhra Pradesh. Fielding the Left candidates would only split the anti-government votes and help the Congress or YSR Congress, CPI state secretary K Narayana told PTI.

The CPI(M), however, said that it is in favour of fielding its own candidates, wherever it had some strength. Citing an example of CPI(M) allegedly supporting a YSR Congress nominee in an MLC election in Chittoor district some time ago, Narayana said he had remarked at a workers' meeting that the Marxist party appeared to have had a 'secret agenda'.

The political observers feel the secret agenda would be that the CPI(M) would like to sail with YSRC eventually. However, taking exceptions to Narayana's comments, CPI(M) state secretary BV Raghavulu asked his CPI counterpart to come clear on his charges.

Raghavulu said the CPI(M) does not need to have any secret agenda, as it had not done anything secretly. The party only supported an independent candidate in Chittoor election, he said.

PTI