Results of local body polls show people rejected 'communal

The ruling CPI(M) on Sunday hit out at the opposition parties and said the outcome of the recent local body polls have showed that the people of Kerala have rejected their ''communal politics'' and stood by the secular front led by the Left. All the Left parties will fight the upcoming assembly election by ''upholding secularism'', said CPI(M) state secretary in-charge, A Vijayaraghavan.

Addressing the media after the two-day state committee meeting,he alleged that the party workers faced violent attacks before and after the polls. ''CPI(M) workers faced violent attacks before and after the local body polls and the party lost six workers in the last five months.

However, the party showed restraint and decided to bring the atrocities to the notice of the civil society,'' Vijayaraghavan said. Averring that the people have rejected the 'opportunistic politics' of the opposition Congress, he said people stood by the ''secular front'' led by the Left parties as could be seen in the results of the local body polls.

The senior CPI(M) leader further said, ''the LDF will uphold secularism and fight thecoming assembly election.'' Claiming that the BJP did not make any electoral inroads in the the state because of its 'communal agenda,' Vijayaraghavan said the Left parties won the election by securing the votes of working class and the farmers. The results of the final round of local body elections held in three phases last month were out.

A total of 21,893 wards in 1,200 local self-governing bodies, including six corporations, 941 village panchayats, 14 district panchayats and 87 municipalities went to the polls on December 8, 10 and 14. The CPI(M) led LDF emerged winner in five out of the total six municipal corporations in the state and bagged 11 of the 14 district panchayats.

The left front also won more than 500 grama panchayats. PTI RRT ROH ROH