Forging alliances

Kushal Jeena, Hardnews

The main strategy of the Left parties for the next-year general elections would be to focus on the creation of a third alternative to defeat other two political formation consist of BJP-led NDA and Congress-led UPA.

"Our main strategy for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls would be putting up a third alternative of Left and non-BJP, non-Congress secular parties, which would defeat both the combination," Atul Kumar Anjan, Secretary of the Communist Party of India told Hardnews.

The leaders of the Left parties are currently engaged in talks with the parties like TDP, AIDMK, TRS, Praja Rajyam and other smaller regional parties to put up a new front. They have already forged a pre-poll electoral alliance with TDP and TRS in Andhra Pradesh and would be fighting next Lok Sabha elections jointly.

The general secretaries of the CPI and CPI (M) Prakash Kart and AB Bardhan respectively have met AIDMK chief Jayalalitha twice in the recent past. The two sides have agreed to form a pre-poll alliance in Tamil Nadu. In the north Left parties are wooing BSP, which is in power in India's most populist state of Uttar Pradesh. Almost all top leaders of the Left parties had held several rounds of talks with BSP chief and UP chief minister Mayawati.

However, Left parties have so far failed to bring Mayawati on board the yet to come up third front as she wanted to be projected as its prime ministerial candidate. The CPI (M), leader of the Leftists said they have no objection in promoting her as she would be the first dalit prime minister of the country. The other constituents of the third front like Telugu Desam Party and AIDMK have raised objection to her demand arguing such a decision could only be taken after the elections.

The central committee of the CPI (M), which is currently in session in Kochi, has endorsed the party strategy to form a third front to fight Lok Sabha polls under its banner. The three-day meeting began deliberations on the strategy for the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Buoyed by its successful talks with the TDP and the AIDMK, the party wants to expand the third alternative by including more parties. The party has already finalised seat sharing with the TDP, AIADMK and JD(S). The Left parties have to work out an arrangement with the BSP in Uttar Pradesh.

"We (CPM-BSP) will jointly approach the people on many issues. But on seat proposal or questions of any seat adjustment, an understanding on that agenda has not begun. But the process is on. We think there is still six more months," said Sitaram Yechury, CPM Politburo member to Hardnews.

There seem differences in the Left parties over the projection of Mayawati as third front's prime ministerial candidate. The CPI is averse to the move saying it would bring the front at par with the BJP and NDA. Bardhan has of late openly expressed his opposition to the move. The two other constituents of the Left Front Forward Bloc and RSP have also their reservation to the initiative led by Karat, who was the first person to hold a breakfast meeting with Mayawati in Delhi two months back.

"We don't go by personalities, individuals or other categories. We go by policies. It's on these policies that we decide our understanding and alliances," Atul Anjan told Hardnews.

The CPI has taken this attend as it has entered into an alliance with TDP, which was the first party to oppose Mayawati's projection. It was one of the conditions of the TDP before the party inked a poll pact with CPI. The TDP chief and former AP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is oppose to the move because he himself wanted to be projected as the next prime minister. Precisely, for that reason he wants the subject to be left in the open.