CPM tie - up ready for hill municipality election

The CPM today said it would contest the coming municipality elections in the hills and was open to having a tie-up with other parties, including the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, but barring the BJP and the Trinamul Congress.

Jibesh Sarkar, the CPM's Darjeeling district secretary, told reporters here that the CPM was also willing to talk to prominent individuals with a track record of public service and willingness to participate in elections in the form of a citizens' movement.

"We have decided to participate in the municipality elections... Our principle is that if other parties, barring the BJP and Trinamul, give us a proposal, we will discuss and try and fight the election as one... Parties apart, we will talk with important persons, who are popular and have worked for the benefit of the public, to fight the elections in the shape of a citizens' movement," he said.

Asked if the CPM was also willing to join hands with the Morcha to fight the elections, Sarkar said the party was open to the idea. "Everything does not depend on us, if they (Morcha) approach us, we are willing to discuss with them," he said.

The Morcha is, however, unlikely to have any truck with the CPM because of the animosity between the two parties, and more importantly, their diametrically opposite positions on Gorkhaland.(TT)