The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : CPI(M) for third alternative, not front, says Nilotpal Basu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 20, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

CPI(M) for third alternative, not front, says Nilotpal Basu

Special Correspondent

‘An alternative formed only on the basis of struggle can sustain itself’

Straight talk: CPI (M) State Secretariat member Y. Venkateshwara Rao and Central Sectariat member Nilotpal Basu at a press meet in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has reiterated its stand that a "third alternative" in the country can be sustained if it is formed on the basis of a programmatic understanding between the political parties.

CPI (M) central committee member Nilotpal Basu said the party had come to a conclusion that there was a distinction between a third front and third alternative. A front is formed on the basis of momentary developments and not on the basis of programmes. "It is a result of mathematical permutations and combinations," he said.

Refutes reports

Responding to queries on the third front formed by regional parties at a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Basu said "some political parties in their wisdom" had come together as a third front.

But only an alternative formed on the basis of struggle could sustain itself in contemporary politics.

He refuted reports that the CPI (M) was projecting Lok Sabha Speaker Somanth Chatterjee as its Presidential candidate claiming:

"How can we do that when we announced our support to the candidate proposed by the United Progressive Alliance."

The candidate proposed by the UPA satisfied the three conditions set by the Left that wanted the candidate with a political background, impeccable secular credentials and awareness on the "nuances of confrontation between the legislature and judiciary."

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

Andhra Pradesh