The Left-Congress standoff in Andhra Pradesh was brought to the Centre on Monday with the Left top brass seeking intervention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in addressing demands made by their state units on the issue of land distribution to the poor.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and CPI general secretary AB Bardhan called on Ms Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence, where they not only presented her with a wishlist but made it clear to her that they would intensify their agitation if the demands were not fulfilled. The two leaders, however, skipped any demand for the resignation of chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, as is being sought by the CPI(M) leadership in the state.
“We told her that we will continue to occupy land unless it is distributed properly among poor and landless. Koneru Ranga Rao committee’s recommendations must be implemented immediately,” CPI general secretary AB Bardhan told reporters after the meeting. Bardhan said the Andhra developments would also be discussed in the meeting of the Left parties scheduled on Tuesday. “Ranga Rao is a minister in Reddy’s cabinet. We don’t understand why the government is hesitant to implement his recommendations,” Bardhan said.
The Left parties told the Congress president to ask the state government to conduct a survey “to establish eligible people out of those who occupied land and built huts on government land”. “Cultivable government land identified by the people in the land struggle should be distributed to eligible people and pattas issued,” the demand chart of the Left parties submitted to Sonia Gandhi on the issue said. The Left also said that government should undo affects due to the amendment of the Land assignment act 1974. Meantime, CPI(M)’s Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh Penumalli Madhu told FE that the party will raise the Khammam firing issue “strongly” at the monsoon session of Parliament which begins on August 10.
The meeting of the Left parties on Tuesday to discuss the Indo-US nuclear deal is going to be crucial as the leaders hinted that the relationship with the UPA government would also be reviewed in it.
