Left not gamblers, to review poll devpts in totality

New Delhi, June 28: The Left parties today asked the Manmohan Singh government to accept the ''big challenge'' of carrying along the supporting parties and the allies for the longevity and sustainibility of the coalition, reminding it of its ''failure'' to contain general rising price rise, disinvestment spree and burgeoning unemployment.

The leaders of the CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc and RSP impressed upon the UPA high command to take note of political developments in the backdrop of the ''unhappiness'' of the supporting parties and the allies and make serious efforts to understand their viewpoint.

But they were, however, emphatic to bring home the point that the Left parties were not ''gamblers'' and would take the proper decision at a proper time only after reviewing the political developments in totality.

The Left parties' comments assume special significance in the wake of BSP supremo Mayawati's statement yesterday that her party would have no alliance with the Congress or any other party in the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttranchal and Punjab and NDA convenor George Fernandes' talk about the Socialists and the Left parties ''fighting together.''

CPI leaders- A B Bardhan and Shamim Faizi- said, ''the Left had already submitted a nine page detailed note on the UPA government's two years performance. We are waiting for the written response. We will formulate our tactics only after getting the government's reply.'' On Ms Mayawati's statment that if the BSP and the Left withdrew support to the Congress-led government at the Centre, it would fall immediately, the CPI leaders quipped, ''We are not gamblers.

We are not gambling any decision on a political course. It has to be based on a comprehensive review of the political situation.'' One or two issues never determined the final course of the political tactics, the CPI leaders said in an obvious reference to the BSP supremo talking about ''withdrawal'' of support on the issue of price rise.

CPI(M) Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Mohammad Salim said his party had yet not decided on the poll strategy for the next year's polls in Punjab, even as the CPI has decided not to align with the Congress for the Punjab polls.

Mr Salim pointed out that a single issue was not sufficient.

''Those who want to oppose the government, they must also oppose the government's economic and political policies which are creating a situation where the prices of essential commodities are soaring high to the extent that these are going out the reach of the man in the street and the middle classes.'' ''Those who were seeking change must also come forward to defend the secular, democratic foundations of the country besides taking to streets against the imperialist hegemony of the US, being supported by the UPA government, the CPI (M) leader said.

On Mr George Fernandes' reference to the unity of the socialists and the Left parties, Mr Salim said, ''first he must clarify his position on his relationship with the BJP and JD(U) desertion of the BJP at the Central level''.

While endorsing Ms Mayawati's statement that the Aam Aadmi had lost confidence in the UPA government as for as price rise was concerned, Forward Bloc General Secretary Debvrat Biswas asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ''act like a team leader to contain the price rise,'' which, he said, had exposed the UPA government.

''The Left parties, from the beginning has raised this issue. Even at the latest UPA Coordination Committee meeting here on June 2, we had suggested several measures to contain it, But the government chose to ignore our viewpoint.'' RSP leader and Rajya Sabha member Abani Roy said the Left would continue to oppose the government's anti-people economic policies, being dicated by the WTO, IMF, World Bank and the MNCs.

On Mayawati's not aligning with the Congress, he said, ''who goes along with the sinking ship. We have also think afresh how long we can continue our support to this government, which has gone astray.''

UNI