League not for covert alliance: Haji

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE, SEPT. 23. The IUML State general secretary, Mr. Korambayil Ahmed Haji, has said that his party would never be part of any clandestine alliance.

Addressing a `Meet-the-Press' programme of the Kozhikode Press Club today, the Haji denied that the League had struck covert poll deals with the CPI(M) for the local bodies poll. "The League will be a partner in any political alliance only if it is offered an honourable participation. There cannot be a clandestine political alliance. If any party wants to have the League as its political ally, it should be approached in an honourable way and offered an honorable participation in the alliance. There cannot be an alliance of the type reported in the press between the CPI(M) and the League." If such an offer was made, the League would take a decision taking into consideration all relevant political factors, he added.

He made the statement when his attention was drawn to reports that the LDF convener and CPI(M) Politburo member, Mr. V.S. Achuthanandan, who till recently was dead against an alliance with the League, has softened his stance of late.

The Haji clarified that his party had not struck poll alliance with the CPI(M) any where and refused to give any importance to the posters in Karivarakundu which declared that the League and the CPI(M) were in alliance. "Anyone can put up posters," he said hinting that the posters could be the handiwork of mischief- mongers.

He flayed the implementation of the People's Plan Campaign saying that the experts' panel appointed by the LDF Government had diluted the authority of elected representatives.

The Haji rejected reports that the Congress(I) and the BJP had struck a secret poll pact for the local bodies poll. He believed that such an alliance would not be possible since at the national level the Congress(I) was BJP's main enemy.

He dismissed as "wishful thinking" the CPI(M) State secretary, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan's comment that there would be no UDF after the polls.

Asked if the League would hold the Congress(I) responsible if the LDF performed well in the polls, he said the UDF would do better in this poll than in the last elections to local bodies.

He reiterated that the IUML was facing the local bodies poll as an integral part of the UDF. But the emphasis is more on regional development than on political matters. So non-political relationships are sometimes likely to arise at the regional level. But such alliances are fewer in this election than in the past.

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Section  : Southern States
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