Socialist Front in Maharashtra to contest elections

Pune, May 17 (UNI) In a bid to give an alternative to the Congress-NCP-led Democratic Front Government in Maharashtra, socialist groups in the state have decided to regroup and contest elections under the banner of the ''Socialist Front''.

Addressing a press conference here, Rashtriya Seva Dal president Subhash Ware said people were tired of the Congress-NCP and the Sena-BJP saffron parties, as they have done nothing in the past 15 years.

To a query about joining the secular parties, he said, ''Talk of 'secularism' is misleading, as most political parties like the Congress, have used it as a strategy and not as a commitment. We want to increase our presence in the Assembly and give an alternative to the people ,'' he said.

''The Samajwadi Aghadi will contest elections with sizable numbers and there will be seat sharing among the groups. We are not forming any political party, but coming together only for increasing our presence politically,'' Mr Ware added.

Asked about the failed experiment of bringing the left parties together he said, ''We are confident of working together, while maintaining our identities, besides in the past eight years the world over, the socialist movement has picked up against globalisation,'' he said.

''We intend to hold agitations from October this year, to press for the Social Security Act for the unorganised labour and for addressing farmers' concerns,'' Mr Ware added.

A day long state-wide convention was organised by the left parties in the state to discuss the formation of the front.

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