THE CPI(M) and CPI units in Tamilnadu has decided to face the Lok Sabha elections jointly. The DMK’s hope of roping the CPI into its alliance for the Lok Sabha polls was dashed late on March 10 with the CPI’s executive committee backing the CPI(M)’s decision to go it alone in the state. After the ruling AIADMK went back on its announcement on contesting with the two Left parties, the latter decided to work together. However, the media scooped that there were possibilities of an alliance between the DMK and the Left. DMK chief M Karunanidhi also expressed his willingness. But CPI general secretary P Sudhakar Reddy and CPI state secretary D Pandian have clarified to reporters that they would fight the polls jointly with the CPI(M) as their objective was to defeat the BJP and its allies. Sudhakar Reddy said the Left parties would support other political parties in the constituencies where they would not contest, in order to keep the BJP and its allies at a bay. He further said that the ruling AIADMK was responsible for the present state of affairs since this party too was among the 11 parties that met in Parliament House on February 5 to form a bloc for a joint floor strategy in parliament. Later the CPI leaders visited the CPI(M) office and conveyed the decision of the executive council. Earlier on March 6, at the CPI(M) state committee office, the leaders of the Left parties met and discussed the inappropriate developments regarding seat sharing with the AIADMK. After that, in a joint statement, the CPI(M) and the CPI state secretaries, G Ramakrishnan and D Pandian respectively, said several rounds of seat sharing talks with the AIADMK had yielded no results. If the Left parties wanted to align with the AIADMK to fight the elections, it was with a view to checking the combines led by the Congress and the BJP, they said. “There was no agreement on seat sharing despite many rounds of talks due to the AIADMK’s approach. Further, with the party having unilaterally announced candidates for all 40 seats and going ahead with the election campaign, the CPI and CPI(M) have decided to face the Lok Sabha polls together,” they said. Ramakrishnan repeated his claim that the AIADMK was not prepared to come to an ‘amicable solution’ even after six rounds of talks were held.