CPM for expanding 4-party ties

GUWAHATI, March 29: The Assam State committee of the CPM is in favour of expanding the existing four-party alliance with the inclusion of other like-minded parties. Talking to The Assam Tribune her today, the secretary of the state unit of the CPM, Hemen Das, said that his party has no objection if any like-minded democratic and secular party is included in the alliance to strengthen it. He said that the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has initiated discussion with the Holiram Terang faction of the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) and the All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU). Das said that the CPM decided to stay with the alliance as the AGP finally announced its decision of not forging an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, differences have cropped up among the alliance partners over the possibility of inclusion of the United Minorities Front (UMF) in the alliance. Das said that the CPM is not in favour of inclusion of the UMF in the alliance as the party is of the view that the UMF is a communal party. It may be mentioned here that the CPI also has reservations above the inclusion of the UMF into the alliance, while, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is pressing for UMF's inclusion. The CPM State committee secretary said that the other members of the alliance have accepted the CPM's political line of opposing both the Congress and the BJP. However, till date the matter of inclusion of the UMF is not discussed properly. He also said that the alliance partners would have their own election manifestos. However, it is yet to be decided whether the alliance would have a common minimum programme. The alliance partners also have not discussed seat sharing till date and the issue is likely to be discussed in the first week of April. Meanwhile, the CPM is not happy with the way the Government of Assam has been giving appointments in different departments. The party also raised the issue in the last meeting of the alliance. "We are not opposed to appointments in Government departments and our party has been demanding withdrawal of the ban on appointment. But, that does not mean that the Government would violate all norms while giving appointments," he added. He further pointed out that the Government should have followed the norms and issued proper advertisement before appointing school teachers and persons in the Cooperative department, instead of whimsically appointing people. He also pointed out that the present system of appointments would deprive a number of deserving candidates.