NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India has said the Left should review its backing to the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre, whose policies it alleged only helped the Bharatiya Janata Party and went against the common man.

The Government should be given the message that Left support cannot be taken for granted any more, party general secretary A.B. Bardhan said. While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken the right thing about creeping "crony capitalism" in the country, he has not done anything to set things right, he felt.

"My point is not that we should immediately withdraw support. I did say and I still say that it is time for the Left parties to review the whole thing. It is time for us at least to send a message to the Government that they can't take our support for granted. It is time for the Government to realise that the demands put forth and the issues that have been agreed upon in the common minimum programme are implemented in letter and in spirit. If we, the Left, can ensure that, there may be no need for it [review support]. But that is what I am doubting, looking into what they are doing."

Asked about his CPI(M) counterpart Prakash Karat's view that withdrawal of support would only benefit the BJP, Mr. Bardhan said the need for a review could not be denied at all. "The Left as a whole has given support from outside. Therefore, the Left as a whole should take a decision. Therefore, let us sit together and think over it."

Two major issues

Asked if he was giving the Government some time, he said: "At any rate, we are not saying [withdraw support] today or tomorrow." The country was now faced with two major political issues — the fallout of the Uttar Pradesh elections and the coming presidential elections. "After that the Left should meet and review."

On Uttar Pradesh, he said the media projections gave the Bahujan Samaj Party the possibility of emerging as the single largest party. "But I am not concerned about the fate of this party or the other. Uttar Pradesh should have a secular government and a government from which the BJP should be kept out."

He was confident that though secular parties were fighting against each other they could come together after the elections to form a government. "Why should we drive the BSP towards the BJP?"

On the presidential elections, Mr. Bardhan said both the Congress and the BJP could not get their candidate to Rashtrapati Bhavan on their own. Neither could the Left parties.

"There have to be very intense negotiations among the parties. We would like to see a candidate who is secular, progressively inclined, democratic and aware of the constitutional responsibilities," he said. The exercise on finding a consensus candidate would begin after the Uttar Pradesh elections. "All the cards can be put on the table then." — PTI

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