We146;re working on a Left-led Third Front: Buddha

Severely criticising the Congress-led UPA Governement for its 8220;failure8221; on various fronts, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee...

Severely criticising the Congress-led UPA Governement for its 8220;failure8221; on various fronts, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday said that his party was working towards a 8220;third alternative8221; to counter both the Congress and BJP. He said that during the forthcoming party congress at Coimbattore in Tamil Nadu on March 29, top party leaders across the country would gather to discuss the possibility of floating a third front.

8220;We are working to form a third alternative, which will be led by the Left parties,8221; Bhattacharjee said at a public rally organised to celebrate the landslide victory of the Left Front in Tripura. CPIM state secretary Biman Bose was also present at the rally.

In the wake of the party congress 8212; CPIM8217;s highest policy making forum 8212; Bhattacharjee indicated that the party wasgearing up to mobilise itself as a strong 8220;anti-Congress political force8221;. 8220;We were compelled to support the Congress to prevent the BJP from coming to power,8221; the Chief Minister said.

8220;But the Congress has not learnt its lesson from the past. It continues to commit the same mistakes. It failed to fulfil our expectations. The public distribution system PDS has collapsed. Prices are soaring, but the UPA Government is not bothered,8221; he said.

CPIM sources said that party general secretary, Prakash Karat, has already talked to some political parties to form a third alternative. The delegates in the party convention will decide which parties could be probable partners of the Left in the third front. The party is going to take a resolution separately on the issue, the sources said.

8220;This policy based alternative to the Congress and the BJP, must be built, and the Left has to take the initiative for it. In the last three years, the CPIM and the Left have succeeded in presenting some alternative policies to the ruling classes prescriptions. This must be carried forward so that forces can be rallied around a third alternative. While this is being worked out, the CPIM will seek to have electoral adjustments and alliances wherever required,8221; said a senior leader quoting from the party8217;s draft resolution.

8220;There is some confusion in the party on how to term the 8220;alternative8221;. Will it be Third Front or third alternative or Left and democratic alliance? The party conference will resolve the whole issue,8221; said the leader.

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Citing the Left Front victory, Bhattacharjee said the CPIM had won without compromising with any extremist outfits. Seven states in the eastern region is troubled by terrorist activities and most governments had struck a compromise with the groups. 8220;Even the Congress had an alliance with the subversive INPT,8221; he said.