Chennai: Alleging a big brother attitude by the DMK in seat sharing, the left parties, CPI, and CPM have snapped ties with the DMK in Kannampalayam town panchayat in Coimbatore district.
Both the CPI and the CPM have been strong in this town panchayat with the CPI earlier becoming the chairman and the CPM, the vice-chairman in the panchayat. However, the DMK district leadership did not allow many seats to the ally, the Left Front leading to the CPI and CPM snapping ties with it.
The left parties together with another DMK ally, Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK) a regional outfit in Coimbatore district, formed the People’s Service Front and have put up candidates on their own. This is mainly owing to the DMK refusing to give the chairman’s post in the panchayat to the CPI.
CPI leader R. Malathi, who is a candidate in the elections, told IANS, “The DMK leaders were not heeding our requests and we don’t have any option left but to contest on our own. This fight is only for this panchayat election. We have a strong base in this town panchayat.”
The CPM leadership said that the fight with the DMK is only for the town panchayat elections and that it would not affect the relationship the party has with the DMK at the state level.
The People’s Service Front will together contest in 11 wards out of the 15 in Kannampalayam. Of this the CPI will contest on 10 seats and the CPM on one seat.
