Left worried by Cong vacating space to BJP

New Delhi, Mar 22: The Left parties, under "pressure" from the rank and file to review support to the Manmohan Singh government, today took cognisance of the Congress' increasingly vacating political space to the BJP, saying this does not bode well for the" fragile UPA."

In separate intervews to sources in the backdrop of the Nandigram incident, the Punjab and Uttarakhand polls, the ensuing UP elections and the re- emergence of the BJP, the top Left leaders said ''only a stronger Left democratic alternative could fight both the BJP and the Congress and that more joint struggles on the people's issues was the answer.'' However, they are not unanimous on the political clout of the Left with as many as 63 MPs, being dented in the post Nandigram scenario.

The CPI, the Forward Bloc and the RSP claimed that the ''image had been tarnished'' but the CPI(M) asserted that ''the Left Front government's stand would be vindicated by the CBI.'' CPI leaders A B Bardan and Shamim Faizi said ''the recent developments in Nandigram and the failure of the Left to cobble together a viable Front in the UP assembly polls, had dented the clout of the Left on the national political scenario.'' " It has also suffered because of the internal dissensions," Mr Bardhan, the CPI General Secretary said.

Besides, ''the growing differences among the UPA allies did not augur well for the fragile UPA,'' said the CPI leaders while adding that the government ''insistance on economic policies and the foreign policy, the skyrocketing price rise and its failure to contain the communal forces were making the rank and file of the Left very restive.'' ''They were now asking for a review of the support to the Manmohan Singh government and reversal of the political tactics for building a Left Democratic alternative,'' the CPI leaders.

While Forward BLoc National Secretary G Devrajan endorsed the CPI' s view that the rank and file of the four Left parties are pressing the leadership to have a" re-look" on its support to the Central government, CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury and Mohammad Salim pointed towards the ''increasing clout of the Left in Policy matters,'' citing their pressure for enacting ''the National Rural Guarantee Job Scheme, Right to Information Act and the Tribal right to land and even increased allocation of funds for agriculture, health and education sectors among others.''

On UP polls, the CPI leaders said the Left also failed to present a cohesive Left Front for the ensuing assembly polls in UP ''as the two major Communist parties are in two different camps.'' They also cited several'' instances which have recently surfaced including the NCP joining hands with Shiv Sena in local body poll, the SP, the BSP and the Telengana Rashtra Samiti withdrawing support to the UPA government.''

On the other hand, the CPI(M) leaders said'' it would be immature to jump to the conclusion as far as the Left clout in the country is concerned. The Extreme Left and Right forces have jointly unleashed the campaign on the Left bashing, particular the CPI(M) bashing by the vested interests. This is nothing new. Their anxiety is that the Left by occupying a major role at the Centre will hinder their agenda. From the very beginning of the UPA coming into existence, they were not happy with the Left role in it. They were not happy with our victory in West Bengal and Kerala. But the Nandigram incident has provided some ammunition to them, but the smoke would be cleared very soon,'' they said.

They emphasised that the first priority before the Left would now be to preserve the Left unity, strengthen the secular and democratic forces." We know it is very difficult job for now. But we can begin with the united struggles for example on the government move to hike the FDI in Insurance sector, the price rise, the Women's Reservation Bill and other financial sector changes.

On UP polls, the CPI(M) leaders hoped that ''despite the Left not putting up a united show, the people there would display their maturity and wisdom by not electing the communal forces.'' Mr Devrajan claimed there was ''considerable pressure from the rank and file of all the four Left parties to review the support to the Central government as the latter not only failed in preventing the saffron party's re- emergence but also carried forward anti- people and anti-poor economic policies.'' " Since UPA's nearly three years in office, the results of 10 to 12 assembly polls, excepting Manipur and Assam, went in favour of the BJP, the UPA allies or the regional parties." Further, the government'' provided meagre additional funds for agriculture, the Rural Job scheme and ignored the Left demand for establishing the Price Stabilisation Fund for agriculture and the implementation of the M S Swaminathan Commission on Agriculture recommendations,'' Mr Devrajan said.

On the internal dissenions in the Left, the Forward Bloc leader emphasised that" a better Left Front than the present one is the only answer... There is need for greater interaction, coordination..Differences must be buried to fight both the Congress and the BJP."

UNI