NEW DELHI: Days after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) mocked the Congress for spending 18 days of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kerala, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday toned down criticism of the Congress’ campaign as it signalled efforts to bring together “secular democratic” parties.
Yechury also hailed the efforts of other Opposition leaders such as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar to unite opposition parties but remained sceptical of similar efforts by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“Every party has the right to take on own path. Going to people is a good thing. AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) is also doing it in its own way. The fact is how many days they spent where, people itself will draw their conclusion,” Yechury said, a sharp contrast to the party’s tweet on September 12 that took a swipe at the Congress for its yatra that was to spend 18 days in Left-ruled Kerala and only two in BJP-led Uttar Pradesh.
But it didn’t stop Yechury from taking a potshot at Congress’ communications chief Jairam Ramesh. When asked about Jairam Ramesh dubbing the CPI (M) as the ‘A team’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala, Yechury argued that Kerala has no BJP MLA and the credit goes to the Left parties. “And as far as team A or B is concerned, you can see what has happened in Goa,” he said, a reference to the eight of 11 Congress MLAs in the state switching sides to join the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}But it didn’t stop Yechury from taking a potshot at Congress’ communications chief Jairam Ramesh. When asked about Jairam Ramesh dubbing the CPI (M) as the ‘A team’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala, Yechury argued that Kerala has no BJP MLA and the credit goes to the Left parties. “And as far as team A or B is concerned, you can see what has happened in Goa,” he said, a reference to the eight of 11 Congress MLAs in the state switching sides to join the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}But the Left party announced that it will “work to develop its independent strength, strengthen Left unity and forge unity of Left and Democratic forces.”
“The CPI(M) shall join the efforts to bring together secular democratic parties in defence of the Indian Constitution; democracy; democratic rights and civil liberties of the people and safeguarding the secular democratic character of the Indian republic,” the party said in a press release.