CPI-M accuses Congress, BJP of 'political match-fixing'

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has accused both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in "political match-fixing" while ignoring "problems faced by the country and people".

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has accused both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in "political match-fixing" while ignoring "problems faced by the country and people".

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"Both the Congress and the BJP appear to have adopted a trajectory of discourse during this election campaign that focuses on non-issues and inanities rather than on the problems faced by the country and people," noted the editorial comment in the latest issue of the party's mouthpiece People's Democracy.

"It is necessary that people see through this political match-fixing where both the BJP and the Congress seek electoral support without offering any alternative policy prescriptions that can provide relief to the people," it said.

The CPI-M said the two parties have not offered "anything substantial" for the people on the issues like "the global economic recession and its impact on India".

"Both appear completely bereft on how to tackle this disastrous impact which has already seen the loss of over a crore of jobs, distress suicides and the sale of body organs by workers in misery to survive. Both seem to be in a complete state of denial on this score," the party said.

Referring to the verbal spats between Narendra Modi and Priyanka Gandhi as well as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and BJP leader L K Advani, the CPI-M asked: "Is this the sort of discourse that one would expect in the world's largest democracy with over 700 million voters?

"It is clear that both the Congress and the BJP are avoiding any discussion on the basic issues affecting the people and their yearning for relief," the party said, adding it would strengthen the search among the people for a political alternative.