NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (CPI) called for the defeat of the Congress-I and rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the forthcoming elections to “safeguard national unity and secularism to promote social justice and better center-state relations and to bail the economy out of the current crisis.”

Releasing the party’s electoral manifesto here CPI leader A.S Malhotr told newsmen that the National Front-Left parties’ alliance was the only alternative that could “guide the country out of the current crisis”

He said that although the Congress (I) and BJP put forward the slogan of providing stability both these parties were “the main destabilizing factors.”

On the other hand he said the track record of the two Left Front governments in West Bengal and Kerala showed that they could provide stability and were responsive to the aspirations of the people.

He said national unity secularism social justice and alternative economic policies would form the basis of the electoral platform of the CPI.

Malhotra said that the CPI while “firmly adhering to socialism does not press it as the immediate objective in the present stage of our country’s development”

“It calls for a thorough democratic restructuring of our entire socio-economic system” he said and added that only the National Front and left could provide advance in this direction.”

Speaking of election specifics Malhotra said that the CPI had yet to finalize the list of its candidates as seat adjustment negotiations were still going with the National Front.

He said that seat adjustments had to be finalized in five seats— Bihar Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Expressing the hope that these negotiations would be completed in the next two to three days Malhotra acknowledged that CPI’s talks with the Indian Peoples Front (IPF): in Bihar had virtually failed.

He said the IPF was making “immodest claims”. The CPI is seeking to contest 13 seats in Bihar he added.

Referring to the Mandal commission report On reservation of jobs for backward classes and its implementation Malhotra said that the CPI felt that there should be an additional 10% reservation based on economic criteria while in all categories there should be a 30% reservation for women.

Article extracted from this publication >> April 26, 1991