| "Strategies for elections in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam will be deliberated upon," CPI Secretary D Raja said here today. The meeting would also discuss the alliance forged by the LDF in Kerala with former Congress leader K Karunakaran's DIC(K), as many constituents of the front had expressed reservation on this, Raja said. |
| On Tamil Nadu, he said, the present grouping "" Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) "" led by the DMK, would continue. "All the alliance partners are united and are fighting for a common cause," he said. |
| Earlier, speaking to reporters, Raja welcomed the constitutional amendment on quota in educational institutions. Raja said his party wanted equal access for all to all educational institutions, whether it was autonomous or run by minority communities. |
| "The government should address all the matters concerned to this Act, so that all students, including Dalit's Christians and Dalit Muslims get equal benefits," he said. He also said the time had come for the private sector to agree for reservation in jobs. |
| On the EPF rate, Raja said trade unions would have to fight to protect the rights of the workers if the government failed to maintain status quo at 9.5 per cent. Stating that the CPI and the other Left parties were not blindly opposing FDI, he said if the investments really helped to increase productivity, improve technology and also add to India's self-reliant economy, the party would definitely welcome such moves. |
| Raja further said not only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but "rightist force" Shiv Sena also was now facing ideological, political and organisational crisis. |
| When asked about the recent stampede in Tamil Nadu, Raja said if the state government had heeded to the suggestion made by the Opposition to form committees for distribution of relief materials to the rain-affected, the tragic incident, where 42 people lost their lives, could have been avoided. |
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