Left parties prepared to face early general elections:Bardhan

Thrissur, Mar 2 (UNI) CPI general secretary A B Bardhan today said the Left parties are prepared to face early general elections if the Congress-led UPA Government decides to advance them.

Addressing a meet-the-press programme at the Thrissur press club, Mr Bardhan said the Third Front, to be formed to face the elections, would not be a third alternative.

A third alternative would be different from the Congress and the BJP, and would come together on the basis of certain programmes.

He said the Left parties would ensure that no communal forces come to power after the elections.

Mr Bardhan is here to participate in the ongoing state conference of the CPI, being held as a prelude to the 20th party Congress at Hyderabad later this month.

Asked whether his party supported Maoist activities, Mr Bardhan said Mao was a great leader of Marxism and Leninism, a great thinker and an ideologue.

Maoist activities should not be considered as a law and order problem and should not be tackled at gun point, he added.

The CPI leader criticised the recent Union Budget for not providing enough relief to very small and nominal farmers.

Talking of the Left front in Kerala, he said better coordination and discussions were needed between the CPI(M) and the CPI in the state.

Stating that the CPI did not consider the CPM as a big brother, he said his party had criticised the CPM whenever it had taken decisions unilaterally.

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