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Third Front lacked credibility: CPI(M)

Special Correspondent

“Congress gained from measures such as NREGA, which were pushed through under Left pressure”
People rejected BJP as it could not offer anything beyond communal agenda: Polit Bureau

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday conceded that its effort for a non-Congress, non-BJP Third Front was not accepted by the people in some States as a “credible and viable alternative” at the national level.

“The Left parties had allied with certain non-Congress, non-BJP parties in various States. This was required so that a secular electoral alternative emerged. However, these alliances forged in some States on the eve of the elections were not seen by the people as a credible and viable alternative at the national level,” the Polit Bureau said in a statement, after its daylong preliminary review of the Lok Sabha results on Monday.

It said that while the Congress won 61 more seats than in 2004 with an increased vote share of around 3 per cent, the BJP’s tally was down by 22 seats with the party vote share dropping by 2.9 per cent, concluding that the loss suffered by the BJP vote share has more or less gone to the Congress.

In the Polit Bureau’s assessment, the Congress gained from some of the measures such as the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), the Forest Tribal Act and other social welfare measures pushed through under Left pressure. The party also got more support amongst the minorities and sections of secular-minded people who were keen to ensure that the BJP did not make a comeback. The BJP has been rejected by the people as it could not offer anything beyond its communal agenda combined with rightwing economic policies which the people had already spurned in 2004. The rabid communal rhetoric of the likes of Varun Gandhi and Narendra Modi dominated its election campaign.

Expressing deep concern over the serious reverses the CPI(M) and the Left parties suffered in West Bengal and Kerala, it said both national and State-specific factors were responsible for it.

Calling for a serious examination of the reasons for the defeat, it said the party lost 25 sitting seats from these two States. The CPI(M) won 16 seats with a vote share of 5.52 per cent, which is marginally less than the 5.66 per cent it got in the 2004 elections.

“A self-critical review will be conducted by the State committees concerned and the Central Committee. This should form the basis for corrective steps. The party will make all-out efforts to regain the support and confidence of those sections of the people who have been alienated,” the statement said.

Responsible opposition

Accepting the people’s verdict, it said the CPI(M) and the Left parties would work as a responsible opposition in Parliament. It also said the party would be vigilant in defending the interests of the people and work for strengthening the unity of the Left parties while continuing cooperation with other secular parties in the Opposition.

The Polit Bureau congratulated the people of Tripura for giving a massive victory to the two CPI(M)-Left Front candidates.

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