Bardhan for probe into Cong use of 'money power'

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI General secretary A B Bardhan on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to probe the statement of Congress leader K K Ramachandran Master that most of the Congress seats for the April 13 assembly polls was given to candidates through payment. "We want the Election Commission to probe the issue and curb the flagrant use of money power', he told a meet the press programme organised by Kesari Memorial Journalist Trust here.

Ramachandaran, denied a ticket for the coming polls, had yesterday alleged that many Congressmen had got themselves included in the candidates' list by paying money. Bardhan said it that were so, there was nothing to prevent Congressmen from doling out funds to buy votes during the election campaign. "The accusation of money power was made by Congressmen themselves," he added.

He claimed the poll result in Kerala would set a 'new record' this time as the pattern of electing LDF and UDF alternatively would be broken. Issues like price rise and corruption in high places under the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre were the main poll plank of the ruling LDF government, he said.

The 'outstanding' performance of the five-year LDF rule would ensure a clean victory for LDF in the state, he added. Bardhan termed as 'hollow' the UDF promise of rice at Rs one per kg and said it was clear they would not implement the scheme, going by their past performance. "UDF when in power only reduced the subsidy on food items," he said.

In this regard, UPA government had failed to implement the 'food security' scheme finalised two years back and was simply being shuttled between National Advisory Committee headed by Sonia Gandhi and government headed by Manmohan Singh, he said.

On the allegation that Food Minister and CPI nominee C Divakaran had slapped a voter on Tuesday while seeking votes at Karunagapally, Bardhan said there was no truth in the report and he himself had verified the matter. "However, on a general note, no candidates should get provoked nor not fall prey to it," he said.

Bardhan also flayed NATO's 'interference' in Libya along with US and said 'people of Libya should be left to themselves themselves. "Any outside intervetion will only complicate the matter," he said. He alleged that the present intervention was an attempt to control the oil resources, which should not be allowed. Bardhan also wanted India to take a strong position against outside intervention in Libya.