It is very significant that the Communist Party of India has taken the initiative to forge a third political front in counter to the major national parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. The electoral tie-up between the AIADMK and the CPI and their broad agreement to form a ‘bloc’ in Parliament and adopt a joint floor strategy in the coming session could signal the start of something big. The Left-of-centre formation will provide voters with a progressive political grouping looking to adhere to secularism in letter and spirit and pursue purely pro-people economic policies. The threat of Hindu chauvinism cannot be taken lightly in light of the communal strife we have witnessed recently. The lesser evil is always the better choice, more so when it holds the promise of mitigating discrimination on the basis of culture, religion and caste.
On the flip side, there is no guarantee that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, whose political proximity to Narendra Modi is well-known, will not join hands with the BJP on the pretext of stability.
G. David Milton,
Maruthancode
Chennai
