After Congress, CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury calls for united front against BJP in 2019 elections

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who is in a two-day-long visit to Agartala, on Sunday gave a clarion call to all the opposition parties to take a unified move in order to dethrone Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre in Lok Sabha elections next year. The CPI(M) politburo secretary was in the north-eastern state to attend the party's 22nd Tripura State Conference and suggested a three-point action plan to unseat the BJP.

Addressing an open session before the 22nd CPI(M) Tripura state conference on Sunday, the communist leader urged people to extend their support to the CPI(M) and other left parties, seeking to oust the ruling BJP in 2019 general elections. Yechury also accused the Saffron party of using communal force to divide people, adding that attacks on backward classes, women, youths have been rising since 2014 when the Modi government had come to the power.

"There are three things that have to be done. BJP and its ally political parties should be defeated. Number of MPs from CPI (M) and other Left parties in the Parliament should be increased. And an alternative government with pro-people policies should be established at the centre", Yechury was quoted as saying.

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The CPI (M) leader appealed to people to mobilize all anti-BJP votes to secure a "secular" central government in India. "BJP got only 31 per cent votes in 2014 Lok Sabha election. But they formed the government. So, anti-BJP votes must be mobilized in larger numbers this time", he said.

Referring to the growing unemployment in India in the last few years, Yechury criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his failure to provide 2 lakh jobs per year as promised during his 2014 Lok Sabha elections campaign. He also trained his gun at the prime minister as he failed to protect the public money looted by millionaires like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya and others.

Talking about the next prime ministerial candidate of the country, the CPI (M) leader said, "People presumed there would be no alternative to Vajpayee. Alternatives came up. An alternative will come again". However, Yechury did not elaborate on his choice regarding the next prime minister of India.

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The 22nd Tripura State Conference has reportedly discussed the present political situation of the state, formulation of strategies to counter the political opponents and alleged attack and atrocities on the opposition supporters by ruling BJP cadres across the state.