The coming together of different political parties in Patna is not for forming an alliance or for elections, senior Left leader and CPI(M)’s state secretary Md Salim said in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
Salim said that it was important that 15 political parties came together – not for elections, nor for any alliance. “Our party has made it clear. But, considering the prevailing situation across the country, the way our constitutional structure, parliamentary democracy, secular policy, and self-dependent economic policy are being shattered… Unemployment, inflation, farmers’ issues – people will have to reach out with these questions,” he said, adding that people’s confidence will grow stronger, the more such strength of those who approach.
The Left leader said that the Patna congregation is just one connecting step. “If required further, there could be meetings in Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Lucknow, and elsewhere. This is so that the people understand that the real India is not what’s being projected by the BJP, RSS. The people of real India want to unite,” Salim stated.
Talking on the sidelines of a media interaction organised by Kolkata Press Club, in view of the upcoming rural polls, Salim – when asked if Left will be part of any alliance – said that Left itself is an alliance, and has practised coalition politics even when the two communist parties CPIM-CPI were one party. “When we were abused being termed ‘khichuri’ (porridge), since then we have practised coalition politics,” he said.
“A meeting happened in Patna, and you harp on with Trinamool giving a statement, and say that a front, a coalition is in place, then it’s futile. Alliances don’t emerge this way. People come forward to struggle, and people who think alike, ally. So, 15 parties met. They don’t have a common opinion, but are synchronising to keep the country’s constitutional structure intact,” Salim said, and alleged that the projection of the meeting as an “alliance” is a plan of the RSS, or its affiliates.
Salim alleged that three months ago, the Trinamool chief had stated that her party is not going to be a part of any “anti-BJP” camp, and Trinamool with AAP tried to form a third front. “The BJP wants a three-way divide. We want to pull all anti-BJP parties together and want to avoid division of votes. It’s a necessity,” he said.