KOLKATA: The victory of the Left parties in the recent elections in West Bengal and Kerala will inspire people of other States to consider an alternative direction and will strengthen the struggle led by the Left forces across the country, Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said here on Sunday.

"In the wake of the Left victories in the Assembly elections, the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre will have to re-direct its policies and go along with those supported by the Left. Our struggle against its faulty policies will now be intensified," he said. The poll results in Kerala and West Bengal were a vindication of the pro-people policies of the Left parties and had "enthused people across the country."

Mr. Karat was speaking at a rally to commemorate the Left Front victory in the Assembly elections in West Bengal. Veteran Marxist leader, Jyoti Basu, presided.

"None before has walked the way we have taken," Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said. "We will pave our own way forward with our experiences. There is no room for retreat and we shall walk onwards. This is our promise to the people," he added.

Left strengthened

"Our victories in West Bengal and Kerala have come at a most appropriate time. They strengthen the Left movement in the country and we will put more pressure on the UPA Government to protect the interests of the working class," Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achutanandan said. "I am sure that the voice of the Left will now be heard more in the national [political] scenario ... of the many things the new government in Kerala has to learn from West Bengal the main is political stability," he added.

The Left victories in the two States "has enthused all those forces seeking for an alternative arrangement in the country," Tripura Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar said. "We will have to set up a manch from the ground-level and move towards this direction. The victory in West Bengal is not only that of the people of the State but belongs to all across the country who have faith in democracy, secularism and are against imperialism," he added.

"The UPA Government is repeatedly surrendering to pressure from the United States," Mr. Bhattacharjee noted. "The Left parties will not allow the Centre to let the U.S. to decide on the economic and foreign policies of the country. We will never accept this situation and oppose it with all the forces at our command," he said.

Mr. Basu said that after two years of its tenure there was no cause of any satisfaction with the performance of the UPA Government. "We have told the Congress: implement the Common Minimum Programme. We want nothing else," he pointed out.

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