According to the July 1 declaration made by four left parties in New Delhi, the State units of these parties like CPI, CPI(M) and Forward Bloc at a convention on Saturday welcomed an alternative political platform and called upon democratic parties and mass organisations to support it.
Attending the convention, senior CPI politburo member AB Bardhan said people want an alternative political platform to run the country. The people can no more bear corruption, misrule and mindless economic policy which were witnessed during the NDA regime then and are now witnessed during the UPA rule. “If any party does politics for its own benefit to stay in power, it should be rejected immediately. Politics should be designed for the wellbeing of the nation and its people,” said Bardhan, adding, “let us build a powerful political alternative in Odisha like at the Centre.”
Bardhan said the left parties would conduct a political campaign to mobilise support for the proposed platform. He discussed about the 10-point programme of the alternative policy platform in the economic, political and social spheres. The programme highlights the core issues including implementation of land reform measures, employment for youths, nationalisation of mining and oil resources, disapproval of FDI in retail trade, introduction of universal PDS system, firm action to curb communal forces, no privatisation of education and health services and adoption of an independent foreign policy.
State CPI leader Narayan Reddy said the left parties would organise a Samabesh at the lower PMG here in the last week of October. Former CPI(M) MP Sibaji Patnaik, CPI(M) State secretary Janardan Pati, Forward Bloc leader Purnachandra Padhi attended the convention, in which around 300 communist workers participated.