Cong approach 8216;short-sighted and harmful8217;: Karat

8220;On the contrary, the predominant attitude has been to avoid raising anti-communal issues on the plea that it will help the BJP to polarise the people. This is a short-sighted and harmful approach8221; that was reflected in the Congress8217; election campaign, CPIM General Secretary Prakash Karat said in an article in the forthcoming issue of party organ People8217;s Democracy.

He also described as 8220;misplaced8221; BJP leader L K Advani8217;s comments that Gujarat poll results were a 8216;turning point8217; in national politics, but asked the secular forces not to underestimate the victory of the saffron party in the western state.

8220;If some of the secular opponents of the BJP were mistaken in underestimating the deep communal impact in Gujarat, the hopes of L K Advani that Gujarat marks a 8216;turning point8217; in national politics is also misplaced,8221; Karat said.

Advani should not forget that in 2003, after BJP recorded victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, its leadership decided to go in for early Lok Sabha election, which they lost, he said.