Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 30 (PTI) CPI MLA G R Anil on Sunday reiterated that there was no change in the party’s stance on its demand for the post of Deputy LoP in the Keralam Assembly and said the issue should be resolved through bilateral discussions rather than public controversy.
While speaking to reporters, Anil said the CPI’s position had already been made clear by party state secretary Binoy Viswam, and giving controversial statements on the issue will not be beneficial for Left unity.
“There is no change in CPI’s stance. CPI’s stance was made clear by party’s state secretary Comrade Binoy Viswam. Getting into controversial statements regarding this will not benefit Left unity,” he said.
Anil said he expected the issue to be resolved through bilateral discussions.
“Other positions are not the issue here. Does this position have any special privileges? It should not be turned into an opportunity to justify oneself in a way that increases enmity,” Anil said.
Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leader A K Balan, while speaking to media, dismissed reports of a rift within the LDF and said the CPI(M) and CPI would remain part of the alliance.
“What the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) stated is the CPI(M) stance. What Binoy Viswam and Sathyan Mokeri stated is also the CPI’s stance. They will continue to say it,” Balan said.
He said that despite the differences, both parties would remain united and part of the LDF.
“CPI(M) and CPI are the heart and brain of the LDF. That bond will not break in any manner. Moreover, the unity among our cadres and leaders is stronger now than in any other period,” he said.
He also criticised the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) after its leader KPA Majeed wrote an article in the party mouthpiece ‘Chandrika’ praising the CPI on Saturday. Balan said the IUML and other UDF parties were trying to exploit the issue.
He said the UDF was waiting to get “even a piece of the red flag”.
“Whenever IUML was in crisis, it had approached the Communist Party,” he said.
Meanwhile, a war of words between the CPI and CPI(M) mouthpieces, ‘Janayugam’ and ‘Deshabhimani’, continued for another day.
Following an editorial by CPI(M) leader C N Mohanan in his party organ ‘Deshabhimani’ on Saturday criticising the CPI over the Deputy Leader of Opposition (Deputy LoP) post demand, CPI’s mouthpiece ‘Janayugam’ published an editorial by Rajaji Mathew Thomas on Sunday which called for leadership unity in the LDF.
A public spat between the two major LDF constituents over the CPI’s demand for the Deputy Leader of Opposition post started following the Left front’s defeat in the state Assembly election in May this year.
Last week, Leader of Opposition in the Keralam Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan had rejected the CPI’s demand for the Deputy Leader of Opposition post, saying the position would go to a CPI(M) leader.
He had said appointing a Deputy Leader of Opposition only required him to send a letter to the Assembly Speaker and that there was no doubt that the name recommended by him would be that of a CPI(M) leader.
The CPI, the second-largest constituent of the LDF, later criticised Vijayan for rejecting its demand, accusing him of violating coalition norms and undermining the alliance. PTI TBA TBA ADB
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