April 7, 2004
Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
On Shri Mulayam Singh’s Statement
The Samajwadi Party president, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav in a written statement, has sought to blame the Left parties amongst others, for the division of the secular vote. As far as the CPI(M) is concerned, right from the outset, it has been urging the Samajwadi Party leadership to join in the effort for forging the widest unity of all the secular and democratic forces to ensure the defeat of the BJP.
However, it was the Samajwadi Party leadership which, as early as January, announced that it will go it alone and not have any understanding or alliance with any other party. It has continued to maintain this position uptill now.
The CPI(M) has always maintained that the Samajwadi Party, being the strongest secular party in Uttar Pradesh, must take the lead in forging a wider unity. It is unfortunate that Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav and his party have not thought it fit to do so.
In such a situation, in Uttar Pradesh, the Left parties will be independently fighting some seats and will call upon the people in other seats to support candidates who are capable of defeating the BJP.