'Nothing for Cong, BJP to cheer in assembly results'

Emphasising that people see "very little" difference between Congress and BJP, the CPI(M) has claimed that the assembly election results showed that non-Congress and non-BJP parties faired better in the polls.

Emphasising that people see "very little" difference between Congress and BJP, the CPI(M) has claimed that the assembly election results showed that non-Congress and non-BJP parties faired better in the polls.

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The party said BJP's efforts to communalise terror attacks, including the Mumbai strikes, "mercifully did not yield the results they were hoping for".

In an editorial in the party mouthpiece 'People's Democracy', the CPI(M) said in all the five states which went to polls, the non-Congress, non-BJP parties polled a "significant" percentage of votes.

The party said in Madhya Pradesh the 'Others' polled 21.6 per cent, in Rajasthan 29 per cent, Delhi 23 per cent, Chhattisgarh 20.6 while in Mizoram it was 30.1 per cent.

"People see very little difference between the policies pursued by BJP and Congress in redressing the issues of livelihood. It is clear if a political alternative based on sound alternative policies is forged, then peoples acceptance can be mustered at the hustings.

"Such an alternative, obviously, cannot be a cut and paste arrangement on the eve of elections. This has to emerge through popular struggles on policy alternatives for India's future and a better livelihood for its people," it said adding that the party was working "precisely (towards) the forging of such an alternative".

On BJP, the CPI(M) said the advertisements put out by the saffron party seeking votes by capitalising on terror attacks have "clearly been ignored" by voters.

"These results have also nailed the lie, so assiduously propogated by the BJP, of linking terrorism, with the Muslim minoroty community in India," the editorial said.