Karat hopeful of a Third Front

Thiruvananthapuram/ Gondia, Feb 26 (ANI): CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat saw a post-poll realignment of forces opposed to both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

At a political rally held in Kerala, he hoped aloud about a fresh realignment of non-Congress and non-BJP forces take shape after the impending general elections.

Addressing the rally, Karat lambasted the Congress-led UPA Government and the BJP. He claimed that CPI (M) was the only party capable of creating an alternative to them.

"The way the Congress-led government has performed, we want a new government, and a new combination which is committed to pro-people economic policies.

A new alternative, which firmly defends secularism and combat communalism. Finally, a new combination, which will defend national sovereignty, put an end to our strategic alliance with the United States and have an independent foreign policy," said Karat.

Karat further added that after the elections, the Left parties will ensure at the Centre, a secular government, not led by either of the parties.

Meanwhile, blowing the poll campaign bugle, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendraodi attacked the UPA Government for its failure to tackle terrorism.

Addressing a rally in Gondia in Vidarbha , Modi said that he could teach the Congress-led government a thing or two on how to deal with terrorism.

"Pakistan attacked us. The government at the Centre is still saying that they would do this and that. But no one believes in them. After the Mumbai attacks, they collected all the television records and newspaper reports. A minister from India went to Washington and then pleaded in front of them that look our neighbour just attacked us" Modi said.

Meanwhile, Modi didn't spare external Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

"Pranab has taken many responsibilities, but he himself is discharged. Recently, Mukherjee made a statement saying that around five lakh people have lost their jobs and there are more possibilities of job cuts in near future," Modi said.

He also called upon the people not to trust the UPA Government, which has failed to check the spreading tentacles of terrorism and during whose tenure the prices of basic commodities skyrocketed. (ANI)