Antony sees split in CPM after polls

He reminded the State CPM leaders that Congress, CPM and CPI had forged electoral alliances in several States, including Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Punjab. In Bellary, both the Communist parties were behind Congress candidate Sonia Gandhi.

The Opposition leader wondered whether Achuthanandan, Nayanar and their supporters can remain in the party with their anti-Congress stand. For this, they have to form a KeralaCommunist Party, Antony said adding that the CPM State unit had a history of violating the party central leadership8217;s directives.

He also said that the coming elections would be a referendum on the three-year rule of the Left Democratic Front Government in the State. Antony claimed that United Democratic Front would win more seats this time compared to the last election.

Ridiculing the allegation that the BJP and Congress had an understanding in certain constituencies in the State, Antony said it was the LDF which had an eye on the BJP vote. The alleged plot by some Muslim organisations to assassinate Nayanar was a cock-and-bull story propagated by CPM to garner BJP votes, he said.

Antony challenged the Government to reveal all aspects of the plot, if true, and discuss it with the opposition. Depicting the last three years as a period in which Kerala backtracked 10 years in areas like information technology and during which the number of unemployed rose by 6 lakhs, the Congress leader said that the LDFGovernment had ruined all classes of people through wrong and outdated policies.

He wondered whether LDF would remain intact after the elections saying that the disintegration had already begun. 8220;The CPM is bound to tell the people on what ground they took away the Kollam seat from Premachandran of RSP who has to his credit a record of good performance in the Lok Sabha,8221; he said.

The Chief Minister8217;s claim that he fooled journalists on the law and order front amounted to a violation of the oath of office, he said adding 8220;I don8217;t think Nayanar will be one who will offer to resign even though the issue is serious. But he has lowered the prestige of the office of the Chief Minister.8221;

The Congress leader alleged that the election code was being violated at will by both the BJP-led Union Government and the CPM-led State Government. He cited the proposed inauguration of Onam Week celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram by the Chief Minister on August 24 as an example regarding which he said that theGovernment should not organise the celebrations this year in view of the Kargil crisis.

Antony also thought the display of photographs of heads of defence forces at an election campaign meeting of Prime Minister A B Vajpayee was an 8220;anti-national activity8221; because that infused politics into the ranks of armed forces which no other Government had ever attempted.

Talking about the Congress8217; post-poll strategy, he said the Congress would like to rule on its own but would not be averse to any arrangements to keep BJP out of power. 8220;All options will be open,8221; Antony said.