EC campaign curbs in RK Nagar won't help: CPM

TIRUNELVELI: The regulations imposed by  the Election commission of India (ECI) restricting campaigning time would be disadvantageous for democratic outfits canvassing votes by legal means, said the CPI (M) leader, A. Soundararajan.

Participating in the three-day district conference of the CPI(M) in Tirunelveli , its central committee member, Soundararrajan said that ECI's regulation on door-to door campaign between 5 pm and 9 am in the R K Nagar bypoll would not prevent political parties bribing the electorate. "Instead this restriction will only affect the campaigns of parties like the Left," said the CPI (M) leader. Further, Soundararajan alleged that the BJP has been trying to influence the ECI and charged that the TN BJP president, Dr Tamilisai was poking her nose into the symbol allotment process.

Criticising the Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led State government of dancing to BJP's tunes, he said that Palaniswami led-government was least bothered about protecting the rights of the state.

"The statement of the Tamil Nadu government that an additional of Rs 800 crore is being spent for the subsidy on rice after the implementation of the National food Security Act clearly shows that the present government in the state bothered least about the welfare of the state," complained the CPI(M) leader,

The CPI (M) leader pointed out that by accepting the Centre-proposed schemes like, Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY), National Food Security Act and GST, which were strongly opposed by the former chief minister, J Jayalalithaa, the state has been forced to spend an additional of Rs 10,000 crore beyond the budgetary allocations.

To a query, he said the CPI (M)'s stand on the R K Nagar bypoll would be discussed within the party and announced to the media later. EOM.