New Delhi:
11 parties of non-Congress, non-BJP front met in Delhi today. Addressing a press conference, Prakash Karat, General Secretary of CPM, said there must be an alternative to the Congress and the BJP at the Centre.
Following are the highlights of the press conference:- As u know these parties are the major non-Congress, non-BJP parties in the country
- We had already held a convention in October last year against communalism and the 11 parties who are represented in Parliament, who participated in the convention, decided to carry this forward
- In Parliament session we decided we will work together as a block, now after this Parliament is over and keeping in mind the Lok Sabha elections, we decided that the leaders of the 11 parties should meet and discuss about our co-operation and working together
- All leaders of the 11 parties are present today except two party leaders
- As far as AGP is concerned, the President participated in October convention. He's unable to come today as his mother is unwell and he conveyed to us that he is fully with us but will not be present today
- The BJP as you know was also present on October 30 last year and also in the Parliament meeting
- Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister of Odisha informed us that because of prior engagements in Odisha he is unable to attend the meeting
- Today we decided that in the light of the fact that the Congress party which has been leading the UPA government, its record of misrule, massive corruption, the fact that people have been subjected to unprecedented price rise under UPA regime, farmers faced acute distress and the policies have led to blaring inequality, therefore we do not want the Congress and UPA to continue in power, we will work for their defeat
- As far as the BJP is concerned, they are no different from the Congress party
- As far as corruption is concerned, their record earlier in the central level and state level is as bad as Congress and the UPA government and today the challenge posed before us by the BJP and its PM candidate Narendra Modi is to challenge the very secular edifies of our state and society, the communal platform with BJP and its mentor RSS seeking to bring into our country under Mr Modi is something we will unitedly counter and make sure that the BJP and its allies will not be able to come to the Centre, therefore, we need an alternative to both the Congress and the BJP. So that is why we have resolved today to get together to work together, to present an alternative before the country
- (Reads out a declaration) Country is going to polls again, five years of the UPA-II government have led to all round problems, economic growth has slowed down
- (On BJP) Their divisiveness, disunity and communal disharmony will endanger the secular fabric. The BJP and the communal forces must be defeated and prevented from coming to power
- Strengthening the democratic framework, accountability in government, a non-corrupt government
- Establishing a firm secular order
- Providing a people-oriented development path - social justice, interest of the farmers, minorities and women's rights
- Creating a true federal system, including special category status for states who deserve it
- We appeal to all sections of the people to extend their support to our parties and our principles
- AGP's Mahanta told us to go ahead and said that we are fully with you
- We urge other secular democratic parties and forces to join our endeavor
- (On PM candidate) Madam Jayalalithaa told us that no political parties should raise this matter now, these are issues which we will discuss later
- (On seat sharing) We are not doing that as 11 parties here, every party in their own areas, respective states will ensure the maximum success and performance in elections
Sharad Yadav says:
- Now that we have united it is actually the first front
- 11 parties were together on October 30 at the Parliament meet and will ensure we are together in the future as well