'Stronger' Left not to pull down UPA govt after Assembly polls

New Delhi, Apr 20 (UNI) Refuting suggestions that a 'stronger Left' would pull down the Manmohan Singh government after the Assembly polls, the Left parties today asserted that they would not act as a ''destabilising force'' for the UPA regime.

The Assembly polls could not be treated as a referendum on the Congress-led coalition at the Centre, the Left leaders said while warning that the UPA's stability and longevity, however, would depend on its ''faithful adherence'' to the Common Minimum Programme.

After the ongoing polls to five Assemblies, the Left parties will analyse the emerging poltical situation first individually followed by collective and comprehensive discussion, they said adding discussions would be held with other political parties who cooperate with them on an ''issue-to-issue'' basis.

Talking to UNI, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat said after the polls, the Left will make a fresh assessment of the political situation, ''but we have never been a destabilising force''.

She said the question of reviewing the political situation did not pertain to one or two state governments but the entire gamut of politics at the national level.

The UPA government's own ''anti-people'' economic policies, its privatising-spree rendering lakhs of people unemployed and attempts to usher in flexible labour laws and a pro-US foreign policy, trade and commerce could be its own undoing, the firebrand Communist leader said.

CPI leaders A B Bardhan agreed that the Left parties would analyse the poltical situation comprehensively after the elections.

''We have been watching the Manmohan Singh government for the last two years,'' he said.

Mr Bardhan and his party's National Secretary D Raja, pointed out that the parties like the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samjawadi Party and the DMK were already extending their support to the Left on an ''issue-to-issue'' basis at the state and central levels.

''We feel that the UPA allies will have to think afresh after the polls which seems to be against the Congress everywhere,'' they added.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and veteran trade union leader M K Pandhe said his party would hold the meetings of the party Polit Bureau and the Central Committee immediately after the polls to review the political situation.

Dr Pandhe, a veteran Marxist leader, said a ''stronger Left'' would definitely further mobilise popular opinion against the ''anti-people'' policies of the Manmohan Singh government, ''which has been so blatantly violating the CMP in its letter and spirit'.

A ''stronger Left'' will be in a better position to influence the government policies and programmes after May 11 when the elections are over, he added.

Ms Karat said to ensure its stability, the government should faithfully implement the CMP, which is the basis of its own existence.

On the question of holding of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting, last held nearly two months ago, the Left leaders questioned its validity and purpose when the government was going ahead with decisions privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports.

''The UPA-Left Coordination Committee issue will also come up for discussion after the polls,'' said Dr Pandhe.

UNI KSA RP DS1441