CPI willing to contest on 15 seats in Maharashtra

Nashik: The CPI has urged the Congress-NCP alliance to leave a total of 15 seats in Maharashtra, including two in Nashik district, for the upcoming state assembly elections to be held on October 21.

Two seats that the CPI is willing to contest on in Nashik district are Nandagaon and Chandvad, while the remaining 13 seats are Wani (Vidarbha), Arani, Armori, Washim, Khanpur-Atpadi, Aurangabad Central, Jintur, Sion-Koliwada, Shahapur, Shirpur, North Kolhapur, Parner and Ahmednagar city.

CPI state secretary Bhalchandra Kango , who was in Nashik on Tuesday, said the party had requested the Congress and NCP to leave 15 seats.

The meeting of Congress-NCP with other like-minded parties is likely to be held on Wednesday in Mumbai to discuss the seat sharing formula.

“We have already made a demand for 15 seats and the final decision is expected by Wednesday evening,” Kango said, adding that they demanded only those seats where CPI has good presence and potential to win.

Kango also flayed the BJP for its wrong economic policies in the country that has affected industrial growth and led to unemployment.

“The BJP government is giving sops in taxation to handful corporate companies, but at the same time they are increasing middlemen. There is a need to increase the purchase power of the middle class and it is the only way to speed up country’s economy. There is a need to give minimum wages to workers and create more employment,” Kango said.

He also blamed the BJP government for hurriedly taking decision of abolishing Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir and called the move a non-democratic.