Hyderabad, September 26: CPM state general secretary B V Raghavulu created a stir last week when he said the TDP was proving to be a hurder to his party’s efforts to cobble together a secular opposition front coopting the Praja Rajyam and Lok Satta. The statement raised eyebrows in the TDP, the CPM’s agitation partner. In a Q&A with Express, Raghavulu tried to explain what his plan really is.
Since the last general election, the CPM seems to have taken a back seat as far as people’s agitations are concerned.
That’s not true. The CPM never forgets people’s issues. We have been mobilising people and organising agitations against the policies of the the Centre and the state government. Our agitations on Indiramma houses, pensions and Arogayasri are not the kind that will attract media attention but they are of real value to poor people. The media looks for sensational news. We are not here to supply sensational news to the media.
You have been trying to form a secular political front in the state for some time. What has happened to that effort?
We have never had such a plan. Having an understanding with like-minded parties is done at election time but not permanent fronts. We decided to work together with non-Congress and non-BJP parties on people’s issues. But the TDP expressed some reservations on working with the PRP and LSP.
What the TDP’s objections to the PRP and LSP?
Only the TDP leadership can answer that question.
In the last general election, you opposed any electoral adjustment with the PRP. Now you want to enlist it. Why this turnaround?
This is not election time. So we are proposing that non-Congress and non-BJP parties work untedly to corner the Congress government.
Hasn’t the PRP already moved over to the Congress?
We have no such reservations. Not just the PRP, we are ready to work with the TRS on public issues. It may seem like the PRP is taking a pro-government stance but there is no guarantee it won’t turn anti-government. The PRP’s honeymoon with the Congress will end soon. Chiranjeevi is touring the state, exposing the state government’s failures. PRP representatives are participating in agitations organised by our front organisations. Why isn’t the media recognising this?
KCR has said the CPM will be irrelevant in Telangana
Yes, that’s possible when all sections of society lead a quality life without getting cheated by a few capitalists. But will that happen any time soon? As long as there is injustice and inequality, the CPM will exist.
–Agencies