Tamil Nadu: All eyes on Left set to reveal by-poll stance today

CHENNAI: The CPM and CPI, which had announced on Friday that they would declare their stand on the upcoming Assembly bypolls to Madurantakam and Dharapuram on Saturday, deferred the decision to Sunday, with both parties convening state-level meetings to finalise their positions.

The CPM state committee will meet in Tiruchy at 10.30 am on Sunday, while the CPI will announce its decision at a press conference in the afternoon after its state committee meeting.

CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the party’s state executive committee held a detailed discussion on the political approach to be adopted in the two constituencies on Saturday. Since an important political decision had to be taken, the matter would be placed before the state committee for approval, he said.

The CPM's final decision would be announced by 2 pm on Sunday.

Shanmugam said the party had already criticised the MLAs' resignations that led to the vacancies, describing them as 'unhealthy politics and political opportunism.' “There is no change in our view,” he said.

On whether the CPM would support any party or extend outside support to the ruling party, Shanmugam said all options would be discussed at Sunday’s state committee meeting.

The CPI too deferred its announcement after its state-level deliberations on Saturday. State secretary M Veerapandian said a TVK functionary had contacted the party seeking its support, but the CPI had asked them to wait until its meeting concluded.

Asked whether supporting TVK candidates would amount to joining the alliance, Veerapandian said the party had yet to decide. “We consider DMK, AIADMK and TVK as democratic forces. We will decide what stand to take in the bypoll based on the political situation,” he said.