New Delhi, September 25
Pressure is intensifying within the Left parties to “review” the support to the Congress-led UPA government as many Left constituents are of the view that their support is being taken for granted.
Many Left constituents are agitated over the government “ignoring” their views on contentious issues like the FDI hike in telecom, civil aviation and insurance sectors, cut in the EPF interest rate and, of course, the latest controversy over the presence of multilateral experts in the Planning Commission, pressuring the major Left parties — the CPM and the CPI — to review the support to the Manmohan Singh ministry, according to sources.
“The Left parties have not extended unconditional support to the UPA government and it cannot take our support for granted,” said Mr M.K. Pandhe, CPM politburo member.
He is not alone in raising this dissenting note. The Revolutionary Socialist Party central committee member and MP Abani Roy, also voiced concern over the government’s action of taking the Left parties for granted.
The Left parties see the “communal” agenda of the BJP as a greater threat to the country and had extended support to the Congress government to checkmate it. Here too, the Left found the UPA government soft in its reaction as the BJP raked up the Savarkar and Tiranga issues to further its “communal” agenda.
Despite the crucial numbers in the Lok Sabha, the Left parties find themselves in the lurch as the Manmohan Singh government announces policy decisions without consulting them.
