Ensure victory for DMK front: Balakrishnan

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan on Wednesday appealed to the voters in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to ensure victory of the DMK-led INDIA alliance candidates in all the 40 seats as the alliance fought for the State’s rights and implemented various welfare schemes in the State.

In a statement, Balakrishnan said that the BJP which got a majority in the last Parliamentary polls launched a brutal attack on the principles of secularism. "After implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act targeting the Muslim minority, the Modi government is clamouring that if it won more seats in this poll, it would implement its Hindutva sectarian agenda, including the Uniform Civil Code, and that everything it has done so far is just a trailer, " he noted.

Hitting out at the economic policies of the Modi government, he said that the seven-phase general election to the Lok Sabha, which will begin on April 19, is the most important election in the history of independent India.

Pointing out that AIADMK led by Edappadi K Palaniswami which snapped its ties with the BJP did not criticise the bad policies of the Modi government, he said that AIADMK not only surrendered the state’s rights and people's interests but also supported several anti-people legislation introduced by the BJP government including anti-farmer agricultural laws, the Citizenship Amendment Act against Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils. "PMK which talks about social justice, has conspired with the BJP, which has buried social justice, and has deceived the state people, " he said.

Strengthen Left parties: Ramakrishnan

CPM politburo member G Ramakrishnan has appealed to the voters to ensure the victory of INDIA alliance candidates including Left party candidates with a huge margin. "Left party should be strengthened inside and outside parliament to put pressure on the Union government to implement people-oriented policies, " he said.

Pointing to the Congress-led UPA government in 2004 which was formed with the outside support of the Left, he said that it was due to the efforts and pressure given by the Left parties, that the UPA government passed many landmark legislations including MGNREGA, RTI Act and Right to Education Act. "Left parties have a vital role inside and outside parliament to bring down the BJP and raise slogans to protect the constitutional values and create alternative policies as political plans, " he said.