The Communist Party of India (CPI) will continue to oppose the mega steel project of South Korean steel major Posco in Orissa despite its pledge to support the state government in the trust vote following the breach of ties between the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Asked whether the party will drop its opposition to the Posco project in Orissa in view of the changed political scenario, AB. Bardhan, the general secretary of the party, said the Posco project had been given every clearance by the Centre and the party was opposed to it. “Our stand on Posco continues as before and the party will not mortgage its struggles and ideology,” he said.
Bardhan was here to attend the state executive and the state council meeting of the state unit of the party.
It may be noted the 12 million tonne per annum steel project, proposed to come up near Paradeep in Orissa at an investment of $12 billion, the largest single FDI in the country, has been hanging fire for the last four years due to stiff opposition from the locals, most of whom belong to the CPI. The CPI, along with other Left parties, are opposing the project. They have mobilised people in the site area and thwarted the state government’s land acquisition efforts.
The CPI, however, came out strongly in support of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government. The Patnaik government, he said, had the support of 81 members and there was no point in demanding the imposition of the President’s Rule in the state. Any demand for the imposition of the President’s Rule in Orissa is a very dishonest manoeuvre”, he said.
He called upon the governor not to fall a prey to the Congress and the BJP, who have been demanding the imposition of the President’s Rule in the state.
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The veteran communist leader, who met Patnaik yesterday, said the breach of the alliance between the BJP and the BJD was an important political development for the state and had the potential to open a new path for Orissa in the coming days.
The CPI general secretary said, in the changed political situation, the party is willing to have talks with the BJD on seat sharing. While this figured in the discussion with Patnaik yesterday, the seat sharing talks are expected to start in next 3-4 days. However, he didn’t indicate number of seats that the party would like to contest. “State unit of the CPI has formed a 5 member negotiation committee and depending on the outcome of the talks, the number of seats will be decided”, he added.
Stating that the CPI aims to defeat the BJP and the Congress, he said, Patnaik has made it clear that he will neither go with Congress-led or BJP-led alliance in the election.“In this context, we hope that eventually he will come to the third front but he is free to take his time”, Bardhan pointed out.