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Wednesday, Jul 08, 2009
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Left parties will meet to promote unity

Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI: The four Left parties will meet to consider ways to promote unity which was lacking in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Deputy General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) S. Sudhakar Reddy said here on Tuesday on the sidelines of a party press conference.

The meeting will take place against the backdrop of recriminations among the Left parties. Before that, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the CPI, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the All India Forward Bloc would hold internal stock-taking sessions.

The parties admitted that there was a lack of harmony in the Left Front in West Bengal and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala and this contributed to the electoral debacle in both States.

However, CPI General Secretary A. B. Bardhan ruled out parting of ways. “The Left Front exists in West Bengal and the LDF in Kerala. One defeat or a big setback does not finish this arrangement.”

Admitting that they did not function properly as a front, he said voters were alienated due to “fascist practices” by “some in power.” There was also the attempt to dominate every aspect of people’s lives “which we feel should not have been done.” He said the general elections had been a “big lesson” and the results should be taken in that spirit. “The setback is temporary and in the emerging situation, fresh challenges will provide a big opportunity to the Left parties to prove that they have learnt their lesson and to regain their links with the masses.”

Corrections and Clarifications

The last paragraph in a report "Left parties will meet to promote unity" (July 8, 2009) was "Admitting that they did not function properly as a front, he [CPI General Secretary A.B. Bardhan] said voters were alienated due to 'fascist practices' by 'some in power.'" The CPI clarifies that the phrase used by Mr. Bardhan in his press conference was "bossist practices".

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