The 20th National Congress of CPI began in Hyderabad on Sunday with a call for building a third political alternative through common struggles based on a Left and democratic programme.
"Our party thinks it is time we make every effort to build a Left and democratic alternative to both Congress and BJP rule through common struggles on peoples issues and by evolving an alternative Left and democratic programme," party General Secretary A B Bardhan said in his inaugural address.
The four-day event, being attended by over 1,000 delegates including Communist guests from 30 countries, would deliberate on a plethora of issues including Indo-US nuclear deal, price rise, agrarian crisis and problems of the unorganised sector and also chalk out strategies for the next elections.
Senior party leaders including D Raja and S Sudhakar Reddy and representatives of CPI (M), All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party are also attending the meeting.
Outlining the political agenda ahead of the next general elections, Bardhan spoke of the need for strengthening the Left unity, as it was the only way to build the third alternative in the country.
{{/usCountry}}Outlining the political agenda ahead of the next general elections, Bardhan spoke of the need for strengthening the Left unity, as it was the only way to build the third alternative in the country.
{{/usCountry}}Without directly mentioning the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), a conglomeration of regional parties keen on forging a third front, the CPI leader said "there are other secular, democratic parties and groups who are also looking for such an alternative. We have to interact with them and try to draw them into common struggles for forging such an alternative."