On Sunday, the Communist Party of India announced its decision to support the Congress party in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls on 215 constituencies. The party has already fielded seven candidates for the elections but has now extended its support to Congress candidates in the rest of the constituencies.The party claims it is doing so in the interest of "safeguarding democratic and constitutional values."In a statement released by the CPI, the party has claimed that the incumbent "corrupt and morally reprehensible" BJP government is only interested in "sowing the seeds of communal disharmony." This comes at the cost of addressing important issues such as unprecedented price rise, unemployment, lack of education and health facilities, the CPI claims.ALSO READ | Karnataka election 2023 LIVE Updates: CPI extends support to Congress; JP Nadda, Amit Shah to hold roadshows todayThe party believes that it is its duty to defeat the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections and avoid the possibility of a hung assembly.The statement also highlights concerns regarding money and muscle power that might be deployed for horse trading through the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate by the BJP.The CPI will support the candidate of the Sarvodaya Karnataka Party in Melukote and the CPI candidate in Bagepalli. However, in the rest of the 215 assembly constituencies, the party will extend its support to Congress. Congress has fielded candidates in all 224 Assembly constituencies.ALSO READ | Karnataka Election 2023 | BJP did the right thing by bringing new faces, says BY VijayendraThe Karnataka Assembly polls are scheduled to take place on May 10, and the counting of votes will be done on May 13.With agency inputs.
