No question of supporting UPA's policies, says Left

The Left parties today said they could not support the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as their policies were very different.

The Left parties on Monday said they could not support the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as their policies were very different.

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The Left said the UPA was pursuing the policies of globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation, which they were opposed to.

"We are totally against these policies, which they (the UPA) are vigorously pursuing. Then how can we support their policies?" said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member MK Pandhe, reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's indication at a press conference here that the government was open to support from the Left parties.

"There is no question of giving support to these policies," Pandhe told IANS.

Earlier in the day, when asked about the Left parties' support to the government, the prime minister said it is for like-minded parties to care for the wellbeing of society.

The Left parties, which provided outside support to the first UPA government for four years, withdrew support protesting against Manmohan Singh's pro-American foreign policy.

Asked whether he missed the "structured" support of the Left, the prime minister Monday said: "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. It cannot become a reality."