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National

Naidu meets Karat

Special Correspondent

Efforts on to give shape to alternative to UPA/NDA

— Photo: V. Sudershan

TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu (right) and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury at the CPI(M) office in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) convener N. Chandrababu Naidu met Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat on Saturday as part of the ongoing efforts to put up an alternative to the coalitions led by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Briefing mediapersons after the hour-long meeting at AKG Bhavan, Mr. Naidu and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury were hopeful that a clear picture would emerge by the month-end, when the leaders of the 10 parties which came together on July 23 to launch a “joint national level campaign” are expected to meet in the Capital.

“By the month-end, everything will be clear,” Mr. Yechury said, adding that discussions were on to give a final shape to the grouping. About the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) sulking over the “unilateral decision” of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, he said all issues would be discussed.

At a separate briefing, Mr. Naidu also refused to comment on the BSP’s unilateral decision. “All these issues will be discussed when I meet Mayawatiji tonight [Saturday].” Mr. Naidu was non-committal on whether leaders of all the 10 parties — signatories to the joint statement of July 23 — would be present at the meeting being planned for the month-end.

Mr. Karat and Mr. Naidu are understood to have discussed the irritants that have emerged in the endeavour since the July 23 meeting; particularly the BSP’s unilateral decision and the party’s long-standing reluctance to enter into pre-poll alliances.

Strain in ties

Another issue that came up for discussion was the strain in the Left parties’ relationship with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the options that open up as a consequence; especially a possible return of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to the UNPA. Mr. Naidu is also understood to have opened communication channels with AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa who left the UNPA soon after it was formed last year.

Earlier this week, the former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda met Mr. Karat and CPI leaders A.B. Bardhan and D. Raja. This meeting with the Left party leaders on Thursday was followed up on Friday with a separate meeting between Mr. Gowda and RLD president Ajit Singh.

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