Having failed to bring down the UPA government, the CPI(M) has now set its
eyes on stalling all pending major reform related legislation in
Parliament.
General secretary Prakash Karat, in a signed article in party mouthpiece
People’s Democracy, said, “the Congress-led government may think it can
utilise the situation to push through various legislations like the Pension
Bill, the Banking Amendment Bill and the Foreign Educational Providers Bill
which the Left had been opposing. We will work hard to see that such
legislation is defeated on the floor of the House.”
Karat's article comes at a time the UPA has indicated that it will push
through with pending legislative reforms in the financial sector, as well
other measures like selling minority stakes in state-owned companies to the
public. New allies like the Samajwadi Party and the Telegu Desam have said
they support the measures. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has said the
government will seek the support of all political parties to push through
legislative economic reforms.
The Communist supremo lashed out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said,
“his government, because it is committed to follow the policies dictated by
Washington, the IMF and the World Bank, is refusing to take the measures
suggested by the Left parties to curb price rise.”
Expressing doubts over the longevity of the UPA govermnment, Karat said:
“If offers of a berth in the union cabinet, threats of unleashing
investigating agencies against unwilling opposition MPs and bribes running
into crores of rupees have enabled the government to survive, how long can
this last? A few months later, the Congress-led coalition has to go to the
people in the Lok Sabha elections.”
Politically, this is also an effort of the Left to try to retain the
momentum of its third alternative initiative. After it has lost its
long-time ally Samajwadi Party to the Congress party, the CPI(M) is
showcasing its friendship with the BSP and UNPA to point out that it is not
isolated.
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“The Congress leadership thought it had isolated the CPI(M) and the Left
parties by winning over the Samajwadi Party to its side. (But) by
mobilising various parties against the nuclear deal and against the UPA
government, more forces have joined hands with the Left parties after the
withdrawal of support to the government. The Bahujan Samaj Party, the UNPA,
the Janata Dal (Secular) headed by Deve Gowda and the Rashtriya Lok Dal
headed by Ajit Singh joined hands with the Left to oppose the Congress-led
alliance.”
Taking a dig at Singh on the allegations of cash-for-vote, Karat said,
“Manmohan Singh has bettered the record of his predecessor P V Narasimha
Rao. The CPI(M) brought a no-confidence motion against the Congress
government. At that time, the Narasimha Rao government was in a minority.
How it acquired a majority is well-known. Seven MPs were purchased.”