Ground political reality has changed since 1989: Yechury

New Delhi, Aug 14: CPI(M) stalwart Sitaram Yechury today observed that the ground political reality had changed drastically since 1989 to the extent that today the political parties, who earlier refused to ally with the Congress, were willing to work with it to keep ''communal forces'' at bay.

''It is the prime duty and responsibility of the country's oldest party to keep all the secular and democratic parties together,'' said Mr Yechury, the party parliamentary Group leader and party polit bureau member in an interview to UNI.

The CPI(M) leader's comment comes a day after the Hindu-CNN-IBN State of Nation Survey findings signalled the rise in support for the Congress and UPA.

The survey said the UPA would have won a comfortable majority on its own had Lok Sabha elections been held in the first week of this month. It also predicted that the NDA's tally would have come down to just 120 from its present strength of 189.

The CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member said the Survey findings were a ''pleasant'' news for all those parties which cherished the country's social and democratic fibre, multiple and plural cultural diversity.

''Besides, the finding that the gain of the UPA is at the expense of the NDA is further pleasant,'' Mr Yechury said.

However, the CPI(M) leader, who is also the Editor of the party weekly - People's Democracy, said survey has many contradictions.

''It appears contradictory as on the one hand it talks of upswing of the Congress and the UPA, while on the other it points to negative public perception on rising corruption, the spiralling prices, farmers suicide and national security.'' He said the Survey results nothwithstanding, it must be kept in mind that with 195 MPs, late Rajiv Gandhi could not form the government whereas in 2004, the Congress with 145 MPs in the Lok Sabha was leading the UPA coalition.

On the list of priorities for the Prime Minister's Independence address, the CPI(M) leader said Mr Singh should take into consideration vast areas of concerns confronting the nation -- the price rise, internal security, farmers suicide and the burgeoning unemployment.

''The terrorist assaults, threats and attacks pose a grave challenge to India's future. The UPA government must take all measures to strengthen internal security,'' he said.

Besides, India's economic growth must not be made at the expense of the poor and the deprived sections, he added.

UNI