LS polls: Regional parties, Left to form anti-communal group

New Delhi, Oct 22: Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, an anti-communal formation is on the anvil with several political parties, including regional and Left, joining forces to fight the communal menace at a national convention here next week.

Four Left parties have united with AIADMK, JD(U), SP, BJD, NCP, JD(S), Naga People's Front, Sikkim Democratic Front, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and RPI (Prakash Ambedkar) to participate in the October 30 'Convention Against Communalism and For Unity of People', JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told PTI here.

Yadav said "the effort is to bring together all non-Congress, non-BJP parties, who are against price rise and corruption of the present government and communalism", while Yechury said the main objective was to "safeguard our secular and democratic foundations which are undergoing strain at this moment."

Accusing the RSS-BJP of "sharpening communal divide" ahead of elections, Yechury said, "This cannot be allowed and that is our primary objective," he said.

At least five Chief Ministers -- Nitish Kumar from Bihar (JD-U), Akhilesh Yadav from Uttar Pradesh (SP), Neiphiu Rio from Nagaland (Nagaland People's Front), Pawan Kumar Chamling from Sikkim (SDF) and Manik Sarkar from Tripura (CPI-M) are likely to attend the meet.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today wrote a letter to Yechury expressing her inability to attend the gathering, but said she had deputed AIADMK parliamentary party leader M Thambidurai to attend and address the meeting, the CPI(M) leader said. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik may also not attend the meet but depute a senior BJD leader for it.

Asked whether this platform would later take the shape of an electoral front later, Yechury said, "That is not the agenda now. We require a political alternative to implement alternative policies. Hamein neta nahin, neeti chaahiye (we don't need leaders, but policies)."

PTI