In bid to revive the non-Congress, non-BJP platform, the CPI(M) has invited the SP, JD(U), BJD and JD(S) for its national convention, In defence of secularism, scheduled on October 30. The SP and JD(U) chiefs Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sharad Yadav are expected to attend the convention of the left party.
“Discussions are being held with non-Congress secular parties like the SP, JD(U), JD(S) and BJD to safeguard our secular democratic republic from threats emanating from communal forces,” senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told mediapersons.
To questions whether this grouping would lay the foundations for a Third Front ahead of elections, he said all this would depend on the poll outcome. “We are working for the success of the convention. That is the objective now.”
The CPI(M) politburo, which met for two days, supported the convention, saying it was “meant to mobilise the people to maintain unity and combat the communal forces.” However, CPI(M) leaders were clueless about the electoral alliance in Tamil Nadu, where they had a pact with AIADMK in 2009 lok Sabha elections.
Apart from electoral issues, the party politburo blamed the UPA Government for planning to privatise 12 airports, including Kolkata and Chennai.
“The politburo condemned the decision of the Government to handover the running of the two metro airports of Chennai and Kolkata to private parties. Along with this, 12 other airports are to be similarly outsourced to private companies.
“In both Kolkata and Chennai, it is the Airports Authority of India (AAI) which built the new terminals and these public-funded airports are now to be handed over to private companies. Apart from handing over public assets, the future of the employees of AAI will be jeopardised,” the CPI(M) said in a statement on Monday.