Final shape to front of Left, secular parties likely tomorrow

Twelve Left and secular parties would meet here tomorrow to firm up the formation of a non- Congress, anti-BJP alternative and announce its policy direction, aiming at giving shape to a new combination for the general elections.
Asserting that the electoral battle would be fought in a three-cornered contest among Congress-led UPA, BJP-led NDA and the non-Congress, non-BJP combination, Left sources said these 12 parties would pool their strength from their respective states for an all-India combination.
Apart from the four Left parties, the others in this combination are JD(U), BJD, AIADMK, JD(S), Samajwadi Party, Asom Gana Parishad, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and Manpreet Singh Badal's People's Party of Punjab.

Among those likely to attend are chief ministers Nitish Kumar and Naveen Patnaik, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, veteran CPI leader A B Bardhan, CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury, CPI's Sudhakar Reddy, JVM(P) chief Babulal Marandi, AGP's Prafulla Mahanta and Manpreet Badal.
Some more parties could join the combination soon, the sources said, adding that these parties had formed a block to jointly raise specific issues in Parliament during the last session.
At tomorrow's meeting, the parties are likely to come out with a broad outline of political positions and policies against Congress and BJP and decide on how to strengthen efforts of the constituent political parties in the elections in their respective states.