The CPI does not see any scope for formation of ‘mahagathbandhan,’ a grand alliance of secular and democratic forces, to defeat the BJP in the 2019 elections.
It, however, sees a possibility in forging post-poll alliances on the lines of the United Front (UF), according to CPI national general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy.
Speaking to The Hindu, the CPI leader, who was in the city to attend the party’s three-day national council meeting, said there was a need for a broader platform to dislodge the BJP. The party, however, did not visualised any structure for such a platform, he said.
“An attempt has to be made at the regional level to defeat the BJP by the secular, democratic, Left, and regional parties. The Left parties will have an understating with the regional parties if an alliance is not possible at the regional level. The CPI will also not attempt to float any platform without the CPI(M),” he said. “The divergent stands of the political parties will make the grand alliance an impractical one. The parties have been fighting with one another in some State or the other. Some sort of conflict of interest prevails among them. So there is no scope for pre-poll alliances at the national level. The best way to stop the BJP’s march, at this point, is to join hands at the regional level and fight elections,” he said.
Economic reforms
The Left parties would not give up their fight against economic reforms. They would oppose any form of foreign direct investment (FDI). They were not opposing investment from any one particular country. The focus was on fight against “fascist and communal agenda” being pushed by the Sangh Pariwar and the BJP, Mr. Sudhakar Reddy observed. “If we support the Congress, it doesn’t mean we are endorsing its economic policies. The Congress has to rethink and reorient its policies,” he said.
“The Congress is not adopting a soft line towards Hindutva by proclaiming that its president Rahul Gandhi is a janeu dhari Hindu. This may be part of its election strategy. The Congress is only trying to say that it is not against religion,” he said. “As a matter of fact, the Communists are not against religion. We are against communalism and fanaticism. ‘State and religion’ and ‘politics and religion’ should be separated,” he added.
