No alliance with Cong, only issue-to-issue coordination: CPM

Thiruvananthapuram, April 25

The CPI-M on Saturday ruled out any alliance with the Congress but said it would have issue-based coordination with that party in Parliament to pin down the BJP-led NDA on matters like land acquisition, GST and problems faced by farmers.

There cannot be any alliance with Congress because it was that party that started the neo-liberal economic policies in the country, which were now being vigorously pursued by BJP government, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury told a meet-the-press programme here.

“It is too early to read the messages of Congress in their opposition to some of the issues. However, it was a positive response in the case of land acquisition and net neutrality," he said.

So it would be issue-to-issue coordination in Parliament based on development. Not only that, the last CPI-M party Congress had emphatically ruled out any alliance with Congress, he pointed out.

Yechury also said it was not the trust-deficit with Congress but performance-deficit. "They have taken a position on land issue but we have to wait and see whether they would stand in their decision." In this regard, he said government could not have moved forward with FDI in insurance and coal sectors without the support of Congress.

Attacking the BJP government, Yechury charged it was not following the proper parliament procedures.

"This is the first government in the country that has lost its entire Unique Selling Points (USP) within one year after assuming office."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out with “fancy’ ideas to attract youths, but none was fulfilled, he alleged.

Yechury said it was unfortunate that a debate was going on in the country with regard to who is responsible for the suicide of one farmer in Delhi during the AAP rally, ignoring the causes that actually led to the situation.

He said agriculture sector in the country was already in dire straits due to various reasons and on top of it has come the new land bill.

He said CPM’s aim was to strengthen the unity of Left parties in the country to present an alternative policy to take on the government.

Welcoming the merger of Janata parties, Yechury said "re-grouping of socialists in the country is a positive thing in Indian politics."

However, he said "we have to wait, till now they have not decided about the common name, flag and common programmes. But we think, socialist strength is a positive thing."

To a question on the expansion of LDF in Kerala with the inclusion of RSP and JD-U, which are now in ruling Congress-led UDF, Yechury said "RSP is an all-India party. JD-U is in the process of merger at the national level. After the merger, when they take a position, it would have an impact in Kerala.” — PTI