January 31, 2004
Press
Communiqué
The
meeting
took
stock
of
the
political
situation
consequent
to
the
emergent
steps
taken
by
the
BJP-led
government
to
advance
the
Lok
Sabha
elections.
The
Central
Committee
discussed
and
adopted
the
electoral-tactical
line
to
be
adopted
by
the
Party
for
the
forthcoming
elections.
The
Context
In
Which
Elections
Are
Being
Held
The
BJP
has
been
in
office
at
the
Centre
for
a
continuous
stretch
of
six
years
from
1998.
Since
the
last
elections
held
in
1999,
the
policies
of
the
Vajpayee
government
in
the
economic,
political,
social
and
foreign
policy
spheres
illustrate
how
it
will
be
harmful
if
their
rule
continues.
Under
the
BJP
rule,
the
RSS
has
been
entrenching
itself
in
the
State
apparatus
and
systematically
efforts
have
been
made
to
communalise
our
society.
The
NDA
coalition
government
is
only
a
cover
for
the
communal
forces
to
work
towards
consolidating
their
hold
on
State
power.
The
Vajpayee
government
has
implemented
pro-rich
and
pro-imperialist
economic
policies
which
have
harmed
economic
sovereignty
and
imposed
heavy
burdens
on
the
ordinary
people.
Here
is
a
government
which
betrayed
the
popular
mandate
by
privatising
public
sector
assets
and
handing
them
over
to
both
foreign
and
Indian
monopolies.
No
section
of
Indian
society
has
been
spared.
Jobless
workers
in
the
streets,
peasants
committing
suicides,
youth
and
women
without
jobs,
ordinary
people
deprived
of
cheap
food
under
the
public
distribution
system
and
starvation
and
misery
for
the
tribal
and
dalit
sections
–
this
has
been
the
net
result
of
the
economic
policies.
The
BJP
government
has
no
respect
for
federalism
and
given
a
chance
will
impose
an
authoritarian
regime.
It
has
been
whittling
away
the
rights
of
the
states
to
determine
economic
policies
which
favour
their
people.
Anti-democratic
laws
like
Pota
are
being
used
to
suppress
dissent.
BJP
rule
is
symbolised
by
the
horror
of
the
carnage
in
Gujarat
and
the
constant
intimidation
of
the
minorities.
What
is
happening
in
Jhabua
to
the
Christian
minorities
after
the
ushering
in
of
BJP
rule
in
Madhya
Pradesh
is
a
stark
reminder
that
the
BJP
is
inimical
to
national
unity
and
India’s
pluralistic
character.
There
has
been
no
other
government
in
India
which
has
advocated
chaining
this
great
country
to
the
global
strategy
of
US
imperialism.
The
foreign
policy
of
India
is
no
more
independent
and
non-aligned.
Main
Tasks
In
the
Elections
Defeating
the
BJP
and
its
allies
is
the
main
task
of
the
CPI(M)
and
the
Left
and
democratic
forces
in
the
forthcoming
Lok
Sabha
elections
and
the
assembly
elections
which
will
be
held
in
some
of
the
states.
Corresponding
to
this,
the
basic
aim
of
the
CPI(M)
will
be
to
see
that
a
secular
government
is
formed
after
the
14th
Lok
Sabha
elections.
Defeating
the
BJP
is
essential
for
the
defence
of
secularism
and
federalism,
for
ensuring
that
India
progresses
on
the
basis
of
democracy,
economic
sovereignty
and
social
justice.
Tactics
For
The
Elections
The
CPI(M)
considers
the
central
task
to
be
to
mobilise
the
people
to
defeat
the
BJP
and
its
allies.
It
will
work
for
an
electoral
verdict
which
can
put
in
place
a
secular
government
at
the
Centre.
The
CPI(M)
will
conduct
an
independent
campaign
all
over
the
country
to
mobilise
the
people
for
this
goal.
It
will
also
conduct
a
joint
campaign
with
its
other
Left,
democratic
and
secular
allies
for
this
purpose.
The
CPI(M)
will
rally
all
the
secular
and
democratic
forces
so
that
the
widest
forces
can
be
mobilised
to
defeat
the
BJP
alliance
in
the
different
states
and
nationally.
While
doing
so,
the
CPI(M)
will
not
have
any
alliance
or
front
with
the
Congress.
In
the
independent
campaign
of
the
CPI(M),
the
Party
will
oppose
the
harmful
economic
policies
of
the
Congress.
All
over
the
country,
the
CPI(M)
will
adopt
tactics
which
would
help
to
isolate
the
BJP
and
its
allies.
The
Party
will
strive
to
minimise
the
division
of
the
anti-BJP
votes
to
the
maximum
extent
possible.
In
states
where
the
Left
is
not
a
major
force
and
the
main
polarisation
is
between
the
BJP
and
the
Congress,
the
Party
will
fight
a
limited
number
of
seats
and
conduct
a
general
campaign
calling
for
the
defeat
of
the
BJP
alliance.
The
Central
Committee
decided
to
contest
around
seventy
seats
in
the
elections
to
the
Lok
Sabha.
The
Party
will
aim
to
increase
the
strength
of
the
Left
in
parliament.
Appeal
To
The
People
The
14th
Lok
Sabha
elections
is
going
to
be
a
crucial
battle.
The
BJP-RSS
combine’s
plans
to
advance
the
Hindutva
agenda
must
be
checked.
The
people
will
have
to
decide
how
to
strengthen
the
forces
of
democracy
and
secularism.
This
requires
the
decisive
defeat
of
the
BJP-NDA
alliance
which
is
just
a
cover
for
the
communal
agenda.
The
people
will
have
to
be
freed
from
the
clutches
of
a
regime
which
imposes
harmful
economic
policies
affecting
their
livelihood.
The
Central
Committee
calls
upon
the
people
of
this
country
to
exercise
their
choice
in
a
manner
which
ensures
the
emergence
of
a
secular
government
and
the
strengthening
of
the
Left
of
which
the
CPI(M)
is
an
important
component.
The
Central
Committee
calls
upon
all
its
Party
units
to
prepare
for
this
important
electoral
battle
by
conducting
a
vigorous
and
extensive
political
campaign
among
all
sections
of
the
people
and
mobilise
them
to
ensure
the
victory
of
the
secular
and
democratic
forces.