Third alternative not combination of some parties: CPI(M)

Gulbarga, Feb 13 (UNI) CPI(M) Politburo member K Varadarajan today opined that the third alternative should not be a combination of some political parties expecting immediate political benefits, but it should be with alternative policies.

Addreessig a press conference here, he said some political leaders, including Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav, were trying to form a third alternative to the Congress and the BJP, but the Left parties were looking for a third alternative with alternative policies.

Mr Varadarajan said the Left parties were demanding the Centre to allocate sufficient funds for agriculture sector in the coming budget and recalled that the packages announced by the Government for Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh did not address the basic issues.

''Waiver of loans is alone not sufficient. The farmers should be given fresh loans and he should get minimum support price for his produce,'' the General Secretary of All India Kisan Sabha said.

He regretted the international companies ''influencing'' the Indian market and the multinationals' ''invasion'' of the Indian retail sector posing a threat to the local market. The Left parties would vehemently oppose it inside and outside Parliament, besides launching agitational programmes along with AIKS.

Admitting that the Left parties had failed in mounting pressure on the Government on some issues, including the EPF interest rate, he pointed out that though it had failed in some issues, it had succeeded in some others.

UNI