Shelving its dream of forming a Third Front due to the inconsistent SP and BSP, the two-day-long meeting of CPI(M) central committee decided to repeat its State-specific electoral alliances for the 2014 lok Sabha elections.
Talking to the media on Monday, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat indicated that the left was hoping to forge electoral alliances with secular parties like AIADMK, BJD and AGP.
“We have identified certain States where we can have electoral understanding with non-Congress secular parties…. It is no secret that parties like AIADMK, BJD and AGP had understanding with the left parties in the past”, he said in reply to questions. TDP and Deve Gowda’s JD(S) also had electoral alliances with left parties in 2009.
“No discussions have been held with these parties as yet, but we will pursue discussions ... AIADMK has been consistently opposing the wrong policies of the UPA government and its electoral understanding with the left is no secret,” Karat said, when asked about AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa’s proximity with BJP leader Narendra Modi.
Asked whether the party would hold talks with JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said “we will talk to him not on the elections” but on other issues like fighting communalism.
Expressing concern over the growing communal incidents in the country including in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar, he said the CPI(M) would hold consultations with non-Congress secular and democratic forces to forge an anti-communal platform. “In all these incidents, there are distinct links with the activities of the BJP-RSS,” Karat said.