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Kerala left, Congress unite to fight BJP

Leaders of both the Maxist-led ruling Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led opposition alliance, the United Democratic Front, in Kerala today turned together on their "common enemy", the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In a face-to-face programme, the leaders stressed the need for a secular front to keep the BJP out of power after the elections. In the programme, bereft of heated arguments and counter attacks, both fronts emphatically projected the BJP-led National Democratic Front as their biggest enemy. Meanwhile, the BJP claimed it would emerge as a force to reckon with even in Kerala after the election.

While LDF leaders visualised the emergence of a Kerala model third front as an alternative after the elections, the UDF advocated a Congress-led socialist and secular government. LDF convenor and Communist Party of India Marxist politburo member V S Achuthanandan, who repeatedly objected to any support to the Congress, contrary to the party central committee's decision, today attacked the BJP for its "hidden agenda". He accused it of failing to defend the borders, crushing the economy and destroying the secular image of the country.

Achuthanandan, who now supports Sonia Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate, said the CPI-M never bothered about where the individuals were born, adding that even those foreigners supporting the country were welcome to become Indians and emerge as leaders.

UDF convenor K Sankaranarayanan defended the Congress's stand on coalition government, but dismissed the idea of a third front. Asking the left leaders to spell out clearly what the shape and policies of the front would be, he described it as a baseless dream. Making it clear that the Congress was not anti-Communist on any count, Sankaranarayanan called for a socialist-secular government to counter the threat posed by the BJP.

Describing the NDA as a neighbourhood union to capture power, senior Communist Party of India leader and former chief minister P K Vasudevan Nair said the inner contradictions would again pave the way for the breakdown of the NDA. He said the left was aiming to increase their number in the Lok Sabha to control the Congress-led government.

Indian Union Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty said his party stood for the unity of secular parties. Though a pre-poll alliance should have been forged, the left and the Congress will have to join hands after the poll, he predicted.

Kerala Congress (M) leader K M Mani, Transport Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Dr Neelalohita Dasan Nadar, Education Minister P J Joseph (Kerala Congress) and BJP state secretary M S Kumar also took part in the programme, jointly organised by the Mathrubhumi daily and the Asianet television channel. Former secretary general of the Lok Sabha S Gopalan was the moderator.

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