Shimla: Not contained with its maiden victory in the MC elections here, CPI (M) has already begun to explore the possibilities of forming a third alternative to BJP and Congress for the forthcoming general assembly elections due later in the year.
“We are open to forming of a third alternative to BJP and Congress but we also know our limitation that we cannot do so on our own,” said Rakesh Singha, state secretary CPI (M).
Talking to the media after its maiden win at the civic body polls where the left party candidate scored a victory for the mayors and deputy mayors election on Monday, he said that there were serious differences within both state Congress and BJP.
“CPI (M) will work for coming together of political parties, groups and even individuals with a standing to resurrect a third alternative,” he added.
Setting out the agenda for running the corporation whose finances are in a mess, he said that the municipality would be a battleground of political thought but irrespective of political standing the civic body would be run on consensus basis as mandated.
Without mincing words an emotional Singha said, “However, there will be no compromise or consensus over corruption.”
Alleging that both money and muscle power were used in the run up to the elections, he expressed concern that unless some check it applied to free flow of money and liquor during elections, political parties with ideologies opposed to neo-liberal policies would simply not be able contest.
Terming the MC win as a ‘victory of the people’, Singha said the party would try to safeguard the interest and aspiration of the people as the mandate for solving common man issues, something that nobody was coming forward to champion the cause.
Speaking on the occasion mayor elect Sanjay Chauhan said that the corporation would be run on decentralized planning.
Deputy mayor elect Tikender Panwar said, the vote in the MC elections was in anger against the policies of BJP and Congress.
Winning the top two positions in the elections for which direct elections were held along party lines for the first time, there was a muted response from both Congress and BJP to the pretender in the political game.
Photo: Amit
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
