Need to stitch alliance of secular parties to counter BJP:Left

The CPI(M) today stressed on the need for stitching an alliance of secular parties to take on the BJP in future elections, learning from the saffron party's drubbing of the SP, the Congress and the BSP in the UP polls.
The Left party observed as one of the factors for defeats of the three parties was their failure to counter ably Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP's narrative on nationalism and demonetisation in the bitterly fought elections.
In this context, the CPI(M) insisted a counter to Modi and the BJP's narrative be the "most reliable" foundation of new unity and stressed on chalking out common programme and policies to drive it.

"The UP verdict has also underscored the necessity for alliances of political parties against the BJP being forged on the basis of common programmes and policies.
"The abject failure of the SP-Congress alliance is a pointer," former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said in the editorial of forthcoming issue of the party's weekly mouthpiece 'People's Democracy'.
The Marxist leader noted that consolidation of Hindu votes fuelled the BJP's sweeping victory in the Hindi heartland state.

Such "muscular Hindu nationalism" of the Amit Shah-led party be met by a firm secular and anti-imperialist nationalism, Karat suggested.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury seconded Karat in a separate article he has penned for the mouthpiece and observed that a "lack of counter narrative" to the BJP's added to the NDA major's success.

The Rajya Sabha member said the opposition parties failed to highlight the "people's sufferings" caused by demonetisation and instead "fell into the trap" of the BJP's narrative.
"The strength of counter to Modi's narrative is the most reliable foundation for uniting the Left and democratic forces to stand as a bulwark against sharpened communal offensive being unleashed allegedly by the BJP," Yechury said.
He also attacked the BJP over its formation of governments in Goa and Manipur, allegedly using intimidation and money power.
The Congress emerged as the single largest party in the assembly elections in the two states, where BJP stood second.

"The BJP employed a lethal cocktail of intimidation, appeasement through corruption and lure of cabinet rank positions and immense money power with devastating effect, to shore up a majority negating the people's verdict in these states," Yechury alleged.
The BJP and its allies won 325 seats in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh. In Manipur and Goa, it won 21 and 13 seats respectively.