Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat has stressed the need for a third front to offer an alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Speaking here on Monday at a rally in support of party candidate Maruti Manpade, State secretariat member, Mr. Karat pointed out the scams and corruption allegations plaguing the Congress at the Centre and the BJP in the State. “The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has sold away resources to corporate houses,” he said. Meanwhile, the BJP in the State had turned out to be as corrupt and inefficient. “Thousands of crores were allowed to be looted in illegal mining. For the first time in Karnataka, a Chief Minister had to go to jail.”
The Congress had no right to criticise the corruption or misrule of the BJP in the State as its failure to check rising prices had made life miserable for common people. “The Congress in the State cannot substitute the BJP,” he said.
Mr. Karat also ridiculed the Congress and the BJP for seeking votes on the plank of development, accusing both parties of protecting the interests of large business houses. The CPI(M), on the other hand, offered an alternative model of development to benefit the ‘aam aadmi’, he said.
Criticised
Mr. Manpade slammed Union Labour Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge and the former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh for not doing anything for the development of the Hyderabad Karnataka region.
Yechury at Bagepalli
Kolar Staff Correspondent reports:
Meanwhile, speaking in Chickballapur district on Monday, CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury expressed concern at land, liquor and mining mafia “buying votes” during Assembly elections. He exhorted voters to defeat the “mafia” and vote for the party committed to welfare of the common people.
Mr. Yechury was addressing a rally at Bagepalli in the district, in support of CPI (M) nominee G.V. Sriram Reddy. He expressed confidence in the people of Bagepalli to prove that people’s power prevailed over the power of money.
Writer Devanoor Mahadeva urged people to vote for change by electing Mr. Reddy.
