'Third alternative' plan not against UPA: CPM tells Cong

After its high-decibel tirade against the economic policies of the Congress-led UPA at the 19th Party Congress, the CPI(M) today quickly moved to assure Sonia Gandhi that it is not doing anything to divide the secular votes.

CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechuri had a one-on-one meeting with Gandhi at her residence today.

According to Congress sources, Yechuri has told the Congress president that their 'third alternative' endeavour is to stop the BJP from coming to power with the help of other parties and not aimed at eroding the UPA.

Yechuri has supported this claim by making it clear to Gandhi that in the ensuing Assembly polls of Karnataka, his party is not trying to gather third alternative forces. The CPI(M) will indirectly support the Congress to strengthen the secular votes. The CPI(M) has also kept in mind that in Karnataka, the third alternative forces are almost non-existent.

In Coimbatore, while slamming the Congress for its neo-liberal policies, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat had also made it clear that its prime target was to prevent the BJP from coming to power.

"The Party Congress will work out appropriate tactics to isolate the BJP and to prevent any opportunistic line-up of parties around it for electoral gains," Karat said. Left is trying to bring erstwhile NDA partners like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and National Conference (NC) in the third alternative.

Gandhi has also conveyed to Yechuri that she does not doubt the Left's intention of creating a 'third alternative'. Gandhi also explained her decision for a ministry reshuffle to Yechuri saying that her party was projecting the young faces.

However, the CPI(M) is convinced that the Congress has started its preparations for the next General Election. Yechuri also had a long meeting with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday.

The UPA leadership is also trying to get Left's nod to start negotiations with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement.