Citing the Samajwadi Party's electoral victory in Uttar Pradesh, the Communist Party of India Marxist on Saturday revived the idea of a Third Front, pitching for the unity of Left and democratic forces to give the people another alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said people wanted an alternative to the Congress and the BJP as both of them had been defeated in the UP elections.
"We call for the strengthening of the CPI-M and building the unity of Left and democratic forces in the country. It is necessary to have a Left and democratic alternative for the people and we should provide an alternative to the people to the Congress and the BJP," Karat told a party rally in Jammu.
"The BJP and Congress governments are corrupt. People have understood that. The Congress has been defeated and so has been the BJP. The Samajwadi Party has got a tremendous mandate in UP", he said, adding "The CPI-M wants to strengthen non-Congress, non-BJP forces in the country".
"In the present situation in the country, people are suffering from continuous price rise, massive corruption and shrinking job opportunities," he charged.
The UPA-II has for the last three years pursued policies which are harmful for the people of the country, Karat alleged, adding that in the recent Union Budget proposals, there is a big cut in subsidies for fuel and fertilizers.
"This is going to lead to further price rise. Farmers are already facing difficulties in buying fertilizers in view of steep prices. More and more workers are hired on contract basis. Even government departments are hiring contractual employees. Thus, they are deprived of all the benefits," he said.
"As far as corruption is concerned, there is no difference between the Congress and the BJP," Karat charged, adding that whereas the UPA has become notorious for a series of scams, the record of the BJP is also bad.
"The corruption indulged in by the Karnataka government of BJP is an example", he said.
"Only CPI-M and Left parties have a clean record as far as corruption is concerned. CPI-M consistently fights against both neo-liberal policies and communal forces," Karat said.
He appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir not to be divided on communal lines, saying such efforts are being made by communal forces on both sides.
Karat accused the central government of failing to initiate a political dialogue to ensure a political solution to the problems in JK.
There are many measures that have to be taken now as militancy and violence has come down to instill confidence in the people of the state, the CPI-M leader said.
