Left asks Congress to draw lesson from Mumbai polls

New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) Concerned over the ''resurgence'' of the saffron brigade in the civic polls in Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh and Assembly polls in Jharkhand, the Left parties today asked the Congress to draw ''right lessons'' from these debacles and take immediate steps to counter communal forces in the coming assembly elections to four states.

The Left parties averred that the saffron parties reaped rich dividends in the polls because of the divide among secular forces.

However, they clarified that the good performance by communal parties should not be construed as a positive vote in their favour.

In fact, in the Maharashtra elections, barring Nagpur, the BJP-Shiv Sena combine suffered losses, they said.

The top leaders of the CPI, CPM, RSP and Forward Bloc said, in separate interviews to UNI, ''if the Congress failed to see the writing on the wall, these developments might have an impact on the assembly polls in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur later this month.'' CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said the drubbing in Maharashtra civic polls was because of the Congress failure to reach an understanding with the secular parties, particularly the NCP and factions of the Republican Party of India(RPI).

In Punjab too, the Congress leadership particularly Chief Minister Amarinder Singh did not follow the coalition dharma and failed to have an understanding with the Left parties, with whom they had contested the previous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together, Mr Bardhan said.

''Mr Singh even violated the coalition ethics and norms by hijacking two CPI MLAs,'' the veteran Communist regretted.

Party National Secretary Shamim Faizi said it was not just the division of secular votes but sky rocketing prices played an important role in the drubbing of the Congress at the hands of the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. ''The sky-rocketing prices of onion was an important consideration for the electorate.'' Just on the eve of BMC polls, the prices of onion doubled due to the forward trading policy allowed by the Central and State governments, Mr Faizi said.

''The secular forces too have to draw quick lessons from these setbacks as in a couple of months the largest state -- Uttar Pradesh is going to polls,'' he added.

The CPI leader said in Uttar Pradesh too, there was a dissension among the secular forces -- SP, BSP, the Congress and Jan Morcha -- which may directly benefit the saffron outfits.

He said the Congress has to play a key role in uniting all of them to forge a credible alliance against divisive forces. ''It must shun its arrogance of going all alone in the polls and should take all secular parties along,'' they opined.

Marking a role for the Leftists, Mr Faizi said, they should repeat their campaign of 'BJP Hatao, Desh Bachao', launched in 2003. This will also help unite secular forces, he said.

''The threat by the communal forces is grave as was evident by the recent happenings in eastern Uttar Pradesh district of Gorakhpur,'' he observed.

Senior CPI(M) senior leader and party Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Mohammad Salim said it was unfortunate that the Congress as a party refused to ''learn from its experiences; what it had harvested in Jharkhand, it got the same in Maharashtra''.

''Coalition is not for arithmatics alone...It (the Congress) has to learn coalition ethics, tactics and techniques to carry along its partners as also running coalition governments, facing elections with allies or even formulating policies,'' the CPI(M) leader said.

''Perhaps people were left with no choice in Maharashtra and ultimately fell victims to the arrogance of a few leaders.'' RSP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abani Roy said the way the state governments run by the Congress are functioning, they were unable to win new constituencies. In fact the recent polls showed that even they are to some extent, conceding its base.

Mr Roy called for an urgent re-evaluation on its role and the people's growing disenchantment with it. ''If the Congress remain adamant and refuse to see reason it will continue to suffer set backs,'' the RSP leader warned.

Forward Bloc General Secretary Debbrat Biswas opined the Union Budget for 2007-08 was an opportunity for the party to show its concern and commitment to the common man.

UNI