UPA failed to deliver for the masses: Karat

CPI(M) 19TH PARTY CONGRESS

Getting into election mode, party says the govt failed to address agrarian crisis and price rise.

Exactly a month after Finance Minister P Chidambaram presented a pro-people Budget, with tax rebates and Rs 60,000-crore loan waiver for farmers, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat switched to election mode, slamming the UPA government's economic policies.

In his inaugural speech at the 19th Party Congress, Karat distanced CPI(M) from the UPA and signaled that economic issues will dominate his party's poll plank against the Congress along with foreign policy matters.

At the same time, Karat said that it will not only try to keep BJP out of power but also see that it doesn't get allies. Giving another fillip to the creation of a third alternative, he said: "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 and other Left leaders are trying to bring erstwhile NDA partners like Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and National Conference (NC) in the third alternative. Keeping the tirade against 'communal' BJP high on the agenda, the 19th Party Congress also started with a strong anti-Congress mood.

He said: "We wanted the secular government to adopt policies which meet people's expectations. The Congress-led government believes in policies which benefit big businesses and the affluent".

He added: "For our leaders in the government who talked of releasing the 'animal spirits' and argue even now for full capital account convertibility, we hope the current crisis (recession of the US economy) will provide some sobering lessons.

"Two major problems "" the agrarian crisis and the price rise of essential commodities have not been dealt with. The loan waiver can provide limited relief, if it is suitably modified. We are convinced that the nature and trajectory of growth is wrong."

The CPI(M) will continue to oppose reforms, he said and added: "UPA has not been able to convince the Left, why they need to handover Indian banks to foreign private banks, or open up the insurance sector further to foreign direct investment (FDI). How is FDI in retail beneficial to the country when it will lead to the loss of livelihood for millions of shopkeepers and traders? Is putting pension funds of government employees in stock markets the best way to ensure social security? Why can't the government strengthen PDS?".