The Communist Party of India (Marxist) will work intensively to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, said K. Balakrishnan, State Secretary of the party, here on Thursday.

Addressing the media ahead of the party’s State committee meeting, he said that the third front idea being floated by Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K. Chandrashekar Rao will only end up helping BJP at the national level. He added that the leader’s recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only strengthened the allegation that the proposed ‘third front’ will only turn out to be a ‘B’ team of BJP.

Pointing out that various trade unions and farmers’ associations have announced strike and protests against the Union government on January 8 and 9, 2018, he appealed to all political parties in Tamil Nadu to participate in the agitations.

“The Tamil Nadu government is no different as they are implementing only what Modi says. Hence, this protest should also be against the State government,” he added.

Mr. Balakrishnan also came down heavily on the recent initiatives of the State government, which he termed as being anti-people. “Work is already under way in Coimbatore to privatise water distribution. Madurai is also likely to follow the same path. This is unacceptable as people will end up paying money to corporate multi-national companies to get drinking water,” he said.

Similarly, he condemned the proposal to install high-tension electric towers in twelve districts, for which the farming community have already begun to voice their opposition.

He criticised the relief work being carried out by Tamil Nadu government in Cyclone Gaja affected districts.

Condemning the recent National Green Tribunal’s verdict allowing Sterlite Copper to reopen, he urged State government to enact a special legislation in the upcoming session of Legislative Assembly to permanently close the plant.