(Below are some of the decisions of the Polit Bureau of CPI(ML) Liberation adopted at its meeting in Delhi on 19-20 September.)

1. On UP elections: The PB approved the final list of 44 candidates for UP Assembly elections. We will use the election platform in UP for conducting comprehensive revolutionary propaganda aimed at democratisation of social and political life in Uttar Pradesh. The communal offensive in UP will have to be met through popular mobilisation at the grassroots. Accordingly, the orientation of our election campaign will be: Against status quoism - for social change; against mafiadom - for democracy; defeat communal fascism, march with CPI(ML).

2. Bihar by-elections: PB approved the list of 6 candidates for the forthcoming byelctions in Bihar. Our ability to compel the Laloo Prasad government to institute an enquiry into the Bathani Tola carnage and transfer the DM and SP of Bhojpur district has signalled an encouraging victory through a sustained mass movement. The recent arrest of the criminal JD MP from Siwan, Md. Shahabuddin, has also boosted the morale of democratic forces in the state. These developments have helped raise our profile as the Left opposition vis-a-vis the rightwing opposition alliance of BJP and Samta party. We will have to build on this favourable turn of events and while maintaining our distance with the Laloo government and JD, we will have to sharpen our initiative against BJP. We must remember that a victory for BJP in the UP elections will also raise its offensive in Bihar and we must make all-out efforts to checkmate the BJP's further rise in Bihar.

3. On Gorkhaland: The UF government's declaration to grant separate statehood to Uttarakhand has rekindled the Gorkhaland demand in the hills of West Bengal. It seems that this time Ghising and his GNLF may find it rather difficult to retain their hegemony over the movement. The hill committee of the CPI(M) has also come out in support of the Gorkhaland demand. Under these changed circumstances, we cannot mechanically repeat our old position on Gorkhaland. On the contrary, we feel that the demand must be discussed afresh with an open mind.

4. On President's Rule in Gujarat: The PB has termed the decision to impose President's Rule in Gujarat a hasty step on the part of the Central government. What however seems more sinister is the decision to keep the Assembly in suspended animation which can only encourage horse-trading. The PB has therefore demanded immediate dissolution of the Assembly and holding of fresh elections to end the prevailing uncertainty in Gujarat.

5. On Jharkhand: PB expressed serious concern over the growing communalisation of the Jharkhand issue by BJP. To checkmate this, our Party in Jharkhand will urgently try to take joint initiatives with CPI, Marxist Coordination Committee, positive forces within JMM and sections of JD who stand for a separate Jharkhand state.