Left parties in Tamil Nadu looking to rejuvenate in 2014

Picture for representational purpose only.

Chennai: ‘Enroll the young’ is the new mantra of the Communist parties in Tamil Nadu for 2014.

After the Che Guevera T-shirts and Facebook campaigns, comrades here have decided to increase the membership of young men and women in their party to succeed in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and also to change their ‘peasant-class’ identity into a vibrant young party in the state and national political podiums.

Senior leaders in CPI and CPM told DC that they have initiated a head count of young people in their party and charted plans to improve the numbers.

Raising their voices on gender issues, price rise and the economic policies of the Union government, both the Left parties supported several initiatives by the State government in Tamil Nadu, thereby strengthening their alliance with the AIADMK for the 2014 poll.

Organising innumerable protests on issues like untouchability, mismanagement in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and drought relief for delta farmers, CPM party men collected Rs.14 lakh as relief fund for the dalits in Dharmapuri, whose houses and property were vandalised in a mob attack by PMK men in late 2012.

Apart from this, the CPM filed a public interest litigation and ensured that the dalits were given Rs 7 crores for rehabilitation.

As several honour killings were reported, both the parties conducted mass awareness programmes, encouraging inter caste marriages.

Known for their integrity and simplicity, the Left parties brought out irregularities at grassroot-level government offices, which once again strengthened their anti-corruption plank.

It is generally alleged that money power plays a dominant role in ascending in other political parties.

But there are scores of examples of commonest comrades being able to get party tickets for elections to the state assembly and Parliament from the Left parties.

There are many examples – Leema Rose, a brick kiln worker, who won in the Thiruvattar constituency in 2006, carried out her work sincerely as an MLA. 

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30 AP Cong legislators planning to join other parties: Botsa Satyanarayana

Hyderabad: Validating reports of a likely 'exodus' of legislators, including ministers, from the ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh, state party president Botsa Satyanarayana on Friday said about 30 were ready to cross-over to other parties.

"We have district-wise information about those who are seeking to join other parties. Only those who are weak-minded and those who have vested interests and a lust for power are trying to leave the Congress. It's only a matter of time," Botsa said, replying to questions by reporters here.

Saying that the exit of even one legislator would be a loss to the party, Botsa, however, maintained that the party would equally suffer even if 100 such turncoats stayed in. "That way, it is good for such people to leave the party," he remarked. The PCC, however, warned that the turncoat legislators would not return to the Assembly in 2014.

"People will teach such persons a befitting lesson," he added. In recent days, there has been a lot of speculation that many of the ruling Congress MLAs, mainly from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, were ready to quit the party and join either the Telugu Desam Party or the YSR Congress.

BJP national leader M Venkaiah Naidu also claimed that some state ministers were seeking to join his party. These legislators were worried over their political future after the Congress' decision to bifurcate the state and the severe backlash the party has been faced with in the Seemaandhra region.

Some legislators of the erstwhile Praja Rajyam Party (now merged with Congress) were said to be readying to re-join their parent Telugu Desam Party. Some other Congress MLAs were eyeing berths in the YSRC.

Last week, MLA Rajanna Dora from Botsa's home district Vizianagaram joined the YSRC. Former minister and senior MLA Dharmana Prasada Rao is also said to be jumping over to the YSRC. Ex-minister and veteran MLA J C Diwakar Reddy has openly criticised AICC president Sonia Gandhi over the state bifurcation issue and has been served with a show-cause notice by the Congress. His exit from the party looks imminent though he has not made up his mind yet on joining the TDP or the YSRC. 

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Lokesh accuses parties of trying to defame TD

Hyderabad: Nara Lokesh, Telugu Desam’s youth leader, accused the Congress, YSRC and other parties of deliberately targeting and indulging in a misinformation campaign to defame the Telugu Desam and his father N. Chandrababu Naidu.

“Telugu Desam is being targeted by ruling Congress, YSRC and others. The state which developed under the leadership of Mr Naidu is now in tatters,” he alleged. 

Mr Lokesh said Mr Naidu who was born into agricultural family is always concerned about the welfare of farmers.

“Some people have launched a disinformation campaign against my father, saying that he had called agriculture a waste. This is absolutely false. We are committed to the welfare of farmers,” he said. Mr Nara Lokesh, who is trying to step into his father’s shoes, asked the youth to come forward and join politics to ensure good governance like in Gujarat.

He alleged that AP has regressed in development by a decade due to dirty politics. Gujarat has overtaken State on the developmental front, he added.

In another development, Mr Chandra-babu Naidu demanded that the state government stop fixing the controversial high security number plates on vehicles till a high level probe goes into the allegation of overcharging for the plates by the agency.

In a letter to the Chief Minister he had demanded a probe by the ACB or Vigilance Department into the transaction between the government and the contractor.

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