CPM meet to forge non-Cong, non-BJP platform for LS polls

A two-day meet of Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo began in New Delhi on Sunday amid attempts to bring all non-Congress, non-BJP parties on a common platform ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In its effort to forge a broad platform on people's issues that could be used later for the polls, CPM is organising a national convention 'in defence of secularism' on October 30, in which top Left leaders, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Janata Dal-United President Sharad Yadav and others are likely to participate, CPI-M sources said.

The meet is also discussing preparations for polls in five states besides the strategy to bring together non-Congress, non- BJP parties on a common platform before next year's general elections.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had on Saturday said in Kanpur that he will meet CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat later this month and hold discussions on possibilities of formation of a Third Front.

He also said his party always fought communal forces and its main struggle is against BJP.

As part of its overall strategy, CPM has been attacking the Congress-led UPA government over its neo-liberal economic policies while conducting campaigns against the "communal designs" of RSS-BJP with a view to uniting secular and democratic parties on a joint platform based on an alternative policy framework.

The meeting took place in the wake of top CPM leaders, including General Secretary Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury, holding parleys with leaders of other parties like the SP supremo, the JD-U President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa.

The sources said CPM's assessment was that all non-Congress, non-BJP and regional parties were aiming at strengthening their own positions in Parliament, as that would help them manoeuvre and forge post-poll alignments.