Left Front is the only alternative to UPA: CPI

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 18 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (CPI) today said the country needs an alternative to the present United Progressive Alliance(UPA) government as it had failed to raise to the expectations of people and also for deviating from the Common Minimum Programme(CMP).

''The Left Front is the only alternative to the UPA government.

The BJP and others cannot be an alternative to the present government,'' CPI general secretary A B Bardhan told a public meeting here organised in connection with the golden jubilee celebration of the first Communist government in the state.

The Left front had decided to support the UPA to keep the communal forces at bay and to ensure pro-people policies, he said adding that the UPA had failed in keeping up to its promises.

''We tried to stop the BJP from coming to power. But the present situation is that the BJP is coming to the forefront because of the failure of the Congress,'' he said.

Stressing that the Left Front should be strengthened for taking up the challenge, Mr Bardhan said each and every party within the Front should strengthen itself. ''we should strengthen the Left front so that it can pose an alternative to the Congress,'' he added.

UNI