'CPI(M) not for 3rd Front but 3rd alternative'

Hyderabad, Aug 23: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) was not keen on formation of a Third Front but was working for ''a third political alternative'', Party General Secretary Prakash Karat said today.

Mr Karat said ''We are working for a political alternative with Left and democratic forces, basing on political, social and economic policies''.

Saying that the third front was an electoral platform, his party was looking for widening its base and for a viable non-Congress, non-BJP formation with other parties, which he admitted ''will take time''.

He said ''We are not in a hurry as the Left parties coordination, on which it was working over the last 10-15 years has become strong''. Though not focussed for a ''merger'' with the CPI, Mr Karat said the party was trying to iron out the ''irritants and historic differences on the political and ideological planks'' for greater coordination beyond Trade Union and electoral struggles.

Buoyed with the CPI(M)'s performance in the Assembly polls in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, the party planned to focus on Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, besides Asom and Maharashtra, where it saw the prospects favourable in the midst of onslaughts from casteists and fundamentalists forces, Mr Karat said during an interaction with newspersons here.

UNI