AP CM extends hand of friendship to Left despite spewing sarcasm

Hyderabad, Mar 13 (UNI) Despite taking a swipe at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for exhibiting ''double standards'' on various issues, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today offered to have a poll alliance with that party.

Intervening during a discussion on Bauxite extraction in the state Assembly, he opined that it was not proper to say that only China could adopt neo-liberal economic policies, and not India or Andhra Pradesh.

The Left parties should not take the stand that only China could have a nuclear deal with the US and not India, he added.

Extending the Congress party's hand of friendship, the Chief Minister said, ''we have to align with each other for the next Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state.'' ''I will not criticise the Marxists much,'' he said, adding ''nor will I refer to the Nandigram incident in West Bengal to embarass them.'' Seeking their cooperation in the government's efforts for the state's development, he reminded the Left of the views of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhatacharjee and his predecessor Jyoti Basu that ''industrial units cannot come up from thin air''.

UNI SM VA SP KN1834