Maya works numbers, Left ideology for new front

The Left parties, it is understood, have willingly taken up the task of providing a mutually palatable ideological platform for the new coalition that includes parties with extreme views. “The new coalition would essentially have a pro-people policy line and the Left would be contributing towards it,” a Politburo member who is part of the exercise told The Indian Express.

It is understood that Left and UNPA partners have arrived at a consensus that the political line of the new UNPA-Left alliance would be “left to the centre” with an emphasis on minority-Dalit issues.

“The BSP is a party which stands for the most backward people in our society. And our party also has always been with the most oppressed. So, naturally, the political line of the new coalition would be pro-poor,” said Politburo member S R Pillai.

Left parties, despite considering Mayawati’s entry into the scene as a “political coup” of sorts, are quite perturbed about the the casteist tag associated with her. The Left hopes that if the new coalition would have a “left to the centre” ideological and political line, it would ease it out from the allegation of playing casteist politics along with the BSP.

The Left is also worried about the mercurial nature of many a UNPA leader. Careful not to repeat the same mistake as it had done with the SP, the Left now wants to ensure that the political framework is more “concrete and politically binding”.

However, the Left parties are yet to arrive on a decision regarding its role in the new coalition. “Whether we would be officially part of the coaltion or not is yet to be decided. We have also not decided whether it should be replicated in all states. But one thing is sure, the policy of the new coalition would be pro-poor,” said Pillai.

It is understood that the Left and new UNPA would be charting out joint agitational programmes in the Wednesday’s breakfast meeting.

Meanwhile, TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and RLD leader Ajit Singh on Monday held discussions with CPM general secretary Prakash Karat at AKG Bhavan.

After the meeting, the TDP chief said he came to meet Karat to assess the latest political situation. “We discussed the fact that the Government is indulging in large-scale horse-trading.” However, he maintained that the numbers of the anti-Government parties were intact.

Earlier, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury while addressing a march taken out by the SFI against the Government said the Left would strengthen its protests against the Indo-US nuclear deal notwithstanding result of Tuesday’s trust vote.