KOCHI: Coming out against the CPM's stance of not having any political alliance with the Congress, Rajya Sabha MP and CPI national secretariat member Binoy Viswam said Left parties are not in a position to become an alternative if the grand old party is weakened in the country.
"If the Congress is weakened, definitely the RSS and Sangh Parivar outfits would grab its space in the current scenario," he said on Sunday. Viswam was addressing a meeting organised by the Congress' Ernakulam district unit to commemorate the late Congress leader PT Thomas.
"In the current Indian political scenario, we, the Leftists, are well aware of the void that will be created if the Congress crumbles before the challenges raised by the BJP-RSS outfits. To avoid such a situation, remembering the ideologies of Nehru, I am of the view that the Congress should not be weakened," said Viswam.
The programme was attended by senior Congress leaders, including Opposition leader VD Satheesan, state Congress president K Sudhakaran, former Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and former chief minister Oommen Chandy.
His statement assumes significance as CPM leaders from Kerala have strongly objected to an alliance with the Congress in other states claiming that any political alliance with the grand old party will only help the BJP. It is expected that CPM would take a decision on the alliance at its party congress to be held in Kannur in April.
In December, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Congress cannot be an alternative to the BJP at the Centre. He also made a clarion call for forging a national alliance of secular, like-minded regional parties across the country, excluding Congress, to fight the saffron party.
"Congress, which is claiming to be a secular party, has adopted a policy of communal appeasement. Congress and BJP have the same stance on economic policies. Such a Congress cannot become an alternative to BJP," Pinarayi said, inaugurating the CPM Ernakulam district conference at Kalamassery last month.
Viswam admitted that the political situation in Kerala was entirely different but he was not ready to respond on the issue now. While the CPI state leaders are also against having trucks with the Congress, the party national leaders are involved in a move to launch a secular, democratic alternative with the Congress support against the BJP at the Centre.