Left to align with smaller parties in 4 states

Maintaining equi-distance with the Congress and the BJP-led NDA, the left parties will align with regional parties in four states in the coming Lok Sabha polls, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said.

Maintaining equi-distance with the Congress and the BJP-led NDA, the left parties will align with regional parties in four states in the coming Lok Sabha polls, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said on Tuesday.

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The parties will seek to reach total seat adjustment in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam with the parties such as AIADMK, Telugu Desam, Telengana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Assam UDF, Janata Dal(S) and NCP, Bardhan said at a 'Parivartan rally' in Patna.

He said the left withdrew support from the Congress-led government only when it "surrendered the unity and integrity of the country to the US over the nuclear deal and for pursuing anti-people and anti-farmer policies".

Bardhan also pressed for basic changes in the socio- economic policies of the country to fight issues such as poverty, unemployment and backwardness. Besides, he held RJD chief Lalu Prasad and LJP's Ram Vilas Paswan responsible for going against the basic tenets of "our socio-economic character" by supporting the UPA's policy to privatise banking and insurance sectors.