Left must provide alternative

Left parties need to expand its base from Tripura, West Bengal and Kerala. It has already lost West Bengal and Kerala to TMC and Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) respectively. It has now only Tripura where it has held its bastion intact by paving the way for the installation of 7th Left Front Government since 1967. Left Front under the Trupra Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has improved up on its previous performance in 2008 assembly elections in the state. Tripura CM Manik Sarkar is known for honesty, integrity and pursuing the left ideology in letter and spirit. He has delivered a clean government. Being in power for a long time has not cast evil influence on the government machineries of Tripura. Left party leaders barring a few both at Central and state levels have never been charged with corruption. The Left was thrown out of power in West Bengal because of its failure to accommodate and adapt to the changing economic scenario of the nation as well as the world. It also lost power in West Bengal because of its weakening control on party cadres and their highhandedness, which caused ire among the common people that was exploited to the hilt by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee and Trinamool Congress boss in throwing it out of power. The nation needs a strong left front to keep the centrist and the rightist political parties in check. It has often been experienced that whenever the time comes to raise voice for the cause of the people, it is only the left parties which come in the forefront. If the ground reality in village after village is taken into consideration, more than 60 percent of our population is living below the poverty line. Left parties can be an alternative for these poor people to Congress and BJP on their own if they could fan their cadres in every village and convince them about the duplicity of the two main political parties which misguide them on the basis of caste, creed, religion and community in election time. Their economic policies are only meant to benefit the 10 percent of our population in whose hands the entire wealth of the nation is concentrated and the poor remained poor even after 65 years of our independence. The Left parties must take the message from their Tripura bastion to every corner of the nation and make the people aware about the charismatic leadership of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. It is undoubtedly the good governance and feel good atmosphere for the majority of the people that they have given mandate to Left Front for 7th consecutive time in Tripura. The assembly elections in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya have also given clear message to the Congress party that it has no longer the hegemony in the entire north-eastern states. Left Front has retained Tripura, NPF has retained Nagaland and only Meghalaya has been retained by Congress. Lok sabha elections are scheduled to be held next year. So, it is the call of the time for Left to go full hog for the poor of the nation in Lok sabha elections.