Alternative front should be based on CMP: Buddhadeb

Amidst talks of formation of Federal Front by regional parties, senior CPI(M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said an alternative to BJP and Congress should be built on the basis of common minimum programme and policies only.
"The alternative should be based on common minimum programme and policies. What will be the alternative policies regarding internal security, foreign policy, land, employment, education, food security and many other issues? An alternative front/third front should be formed on the basis of these alternative policies," he said at a press conference.
In an apparent reference to Mamata Banerjee's proposal for a Federal Front and talks regarding this among ruling parties of West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar, the former chief minister said, "This can't be an alternative."

"The country is now undergoing a political and economic turmoil and when such a situation prevails, with Congress in a precarious condition, a section of the political class under BJP is trying to revive an ultra Hindutva movement. So, the name of Narendra Modi has come up," Bhattacharjee said.
He said Left parties were trying to forge an alternative front, but it was tough as most of the parties were divided across religion, caste and creed.
"In such a situation, building a pan-India platform on the basis of alternative pro-people policies is a tough work," he said, adding that "in this situation, only 2014 elections will be the focus. We have to pass this test to find out what can be the alternative."

The country, which first witnessed a non-Congress government in 1977, had trysts with alternative political fronts in 1989 and 1996-98 with either BJP or Congress supporting it from outside.
But these alliances had failed to complete a full term. The Left's call for a third front in the 2009 general elections too failed to make an impact as the people chose to vote for the UPA's second term.