CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury not to contest for Rajya Sabha berth

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said he will not contest for a Rajya Sabha berth.

“There is a norm in our party that any party member will not contest in the Rajya Sabha election for three terms and I have to abide by the norm. I have said this earlier also,” he told reporters here.

Yechury and party Politburo member Prakash Karat are here to attend the two-day state committee meeting of the party, which began yesterday.

The meeting discussed strategies for the Assembly elections in Tripura to be held in February next year.

“BJP has now targeted Tripura and has resorted to all techniques including unleashing violence and pumping money to capture power in Tripura. We are prepared to fight them. There will be 60 battles in 60 constituencies. It will be the waterloo for BJP and Amit Shah. We have no doubt about our victory,” Yechury told a press conference.

He also described the three years of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister at the Centre as “three years of failure”.

“The NDA government showed hope that good days were coming and every year two crore jobs will be offered. In 2015, only 1.35 lakh jobs and in 2016, 2.30 lakh jobs were given and this year’s figures are yet to come. 12,000 farmers commit suicide every year for debt burden, but no support price is given to them. On the other hand only 1 per cent people of the country control 49 per cent of the GDP. So, it is shining for rich and miserable for poor,” he said.

“Where is the success? The government should celebrate three years of failure,” the CPI(M) general secretary said.

“If they (Centre) had real sympathy towards the problems of women, they would have taken initiative to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill,” he said.

The CPI(M) leader also termed the formation of anti-Romeo squads and gau rakshak dal (cow protection squads) by the Uttar Pradesh government as “illegal”.

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“By forming the anti-Romeo squads, Uttar Pradesh government has infringed upon the rights of the youth and the cow protection squads have stepped up atrocities on Muslims and Dalits,” he claimed.

“This government is trying to fan communal sentiment.  These are illegal and should be withdrawn forthwith,” Yechury said.

To a question, he said CPI(M) wants a common candidate against BJP in the presidential elections and all anti-BJP forces should unite.

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