Left for Joint Platform beyond UPA-Left mechanism: Karat

New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) The UPA government, in all likelihood will have tougher times in the post April/May Assembly polls period, with the CPI(M) today announcing to build a Joint Platform with political parties on case-to-case basis like FDI in retail and its pro-US foreign policy and not confine itself to the UPA-Left coordination mechanism.

"The Party Central Committee, which met for two days has resolved to seek the support of other like-minded parties to build the Joint Platform to carry forward the mass struggles against the Manmohan Singh government on its deviation from the CMP- in particular in foreign affairs and economic policies," Party General Secretary Prakash Karat told mediapersons.

Briefing on the party CC delibrations, preceded by Polit Bureau meet on March 11, Mr Karat said the party had resolved to review and analyse the UPA government' s 20 months performance only after the Assembly polls, but lambasted it for its acts of omissions and commissions- allowing 51 per cent in retail in single brand, privatisation of airports and "shameful" tilt to the US on Iran among other things.

At a crowded press conference at the party headquarters, the venue of the deliberations, Mr Karat said the CC had entrusted the task to the Polit Bureau to take necessary steps to sustain power in West Bengal, regain it in Kerala, consolidate and increase its strength in Tamil Nadu where the party would support the DMK and its allies, and to build non Congress, non-BJP Front in Asom.

The CPI(M) General Secretary, however evaded a direct reply on the chief ministerial candidate for Kerala , saying," we are unlike the Congress which decides about state politics from the Centre, we don't issue fatwa on which candidates should be selected. The state unit would come out with a final list of candidates at its meeting on March 15 and 16.'' The CC, while taking a serious view of the" low level politics" by the BJP leader L K Advani's announcement regarding his" twin ekta yatras" to protest the Varanasi blasts, asked the Manmohan Singh government to take necessary steps to keep the situation under check.

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