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Talks with UNPA only on n-deal: Karat

Prakash Karat

KOLKATA: Recent discussions with leaders of various political parties, including those in the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), were on reaching a common stand over the India-United States nuclear deal, Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said here on Friday.

There is no question of any electoral alliance, he said. “We have met leaders of all the UPA partners and other secular parties. But there is no other agenda other than the nuclear deal… there is no ground for an electoral alliance.”

The purpose is “reaching a common stand on the deal in Parliament,” Mr. Karat added, answering questions by newspersons on the subject.

“Discussions are taking place with different [non-Left] political parties as well as those who are with the Congress [in the UPA]. But there has not as yet been any talk on the formation of a front,” veteran Marxist leader, Jyoti Basu, told reporters earlier.

He was emerging from a meeting of the CPI(M)’s state committee attended, among others, by Mr. Karat.

He later said that organisational matters were discussed at the meeting. The party congress was scheduled to be held at the end of March and a final date would be fixed at the coming meeting of the CPI(M)’s Polit Bureau to be held on November 11 and 12, he added.

Mr. Karat, who reported on the on-going talks on the nuclear deal at meetings of the UPA-Left committee, also informed the state committee of his discussions with leaders of different political parties on the issue.

He also emphasised the need for intensifying the programme taken up by the party to oppose U.S. imperialism.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee informed the state committee of the steps being taken by the State government to ensure smooth functioning of the public distribution system disrupted on several occasions recently in the wake of attacks on ration dealers in various parts of the State.

Mr. Bhattacharjee said attempts were being made to ensure adequate supply of foodgrains from the Centre and a raise in allocation next year.

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