The Hindu : Bardhan wants secular front to spell out `vision of India'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 22, 2004

National

National

Bardhan wants secular front to spell out `vision of India'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JAN. 21. The Communist Party of India general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, said today that "it was not enough to criticise" the National Democratic Alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party; the secular combine had to tell the people its "vision for India."

These leaders had to work out a "minimum programme." "People want to know what we stand for," he told presspersons, after meeting with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, M. Karunanidhi, at the DMK party headquarters here today.

He said the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was not floating a new alliance: at best, it was a platform. But "the two platforms will ensure that they will not cut into each other's votes," he said and added that the concept of platforms was needed in some States. This was because each State was peculiar and the idea of forming broad secular platforms was a response to the situations prevalent in States such as Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. "All parties may not be agreeable to what we say, particularly with respect to the new economic policies, etc." This necessitated the formation of platforms.

On the BJP continuing to emphasise the leadership issue, he said this was just another BJP ploy. "Did they have a Chief Minister candidate when they fought the elections in Chhattisgarh?" When the question persisted, he pointed out that in the Lok Sabha elections, it was not a clash of personalities. "We are not electing a President," he said and added that the people voted for the policies and programmes of a party.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National