Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat called for unification between Communists and Socialists to forge a "viable political alternative". Karat, who was participating in a function to mark the centenary celebrations of late socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, said on Tuesday, "the Communists are ready to forge a third force in the country in which socialists should also join and share a common platform."
Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav, whose party is a key National Democratic Alliance ally, was also present on the occasion, sharing the dias with other communist leaders like CPI's A B Bardhan and Atul Anjan.
Referring to the erstwhile Congress Socialist Party in the 1930s, which had in its fold socialists like Jaiprakash Narayan and Lohia and also veteran Communist leader E M S Namboodiripad, Karat said after initially sharing the same platform, socialists and communists parted ways and time was now ripe for them to unite.
"In today's environment, it is important that a viable political alternative is available," the CPM leader said. Yadav said, "socialists were earlier united but later drifted away and now they can be found in all the important parties."
He added he has always been a socialist at heart. Incidentally, late former Nepalese Prime Minister G P Koirala was also supposed to attend the function, which was planned by Lohia's followers and socialist leaders and thinkers, before his death.A message sent by Koirala was also read out in the function. The former Nepalese PM had passed away on March 20.
