politics news: CPM blames CPI for poll debacle

HYDERABAD: The state CPM, which suffered the biggest-ever drubbing in the elections, is reviewing the reasons for its debacle. The state committee, which met here on Thursday, constituted a team of senior party leaders to analyse the booth-wise votes polled and the reasons for the party’s poor performance. The report would be submitted to the state committee. However, a preliminary study points fingers at the CPI and non-transfer of votes from allies. The CPM leaders are of the opinion that lack of unity between the two Left parties resulted in electoral reverses. They cited the CPI’s recalcitrant attitude as far as the Mangalagiri seat was concerned. The CPI refused to withdraw its candidate making way for CPM. They felt that a similar non cooperative attitude in other places was one of the reasons for their undoing. However, the CPM was of the opinion that its vote bank was intact though they failed to retain their seats. Party leaders N Narsimhaiah and the lone MLA, J Ranga Reddy, said that the party would not get demoralised by the results and would continue to take up people’s issues and organise agitations. Party secretary B V Raghavulu expressed the hope that the Congress, which came to power for the second consecutive term, would change its attitude towards the opposition and behave responsibly. He also appreciated the decision of the chief minister to increase the Rs 2-a-kg rice quota from 4 kg per head to 6 kg and nine-hour free power supply to the farm sector.