Focussing on the need to have an alternative to the Congress and the BJP at the central level, the Left parties on Thursday said the lessons from West Bengal should be replicated across the country to have a Left democratic government at the centre.

“To isolate the BJP was our first priority a few years back and we have succeeded in that. Now we want to form an alternative to the bourgeois parties like Congress and the BJP,” CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said addressing a function to mark the 30th anniversary of the Left Front government in West Bengal.

“Left democratic movement should not be restricted to West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala. The entire country should be brought within its ambit so that the farmers, workers and the masses can live with dignity,” he said.

However, at the same time the Left leaders emphasised that industrialisation should be considered as a must and the private players should have a role in it. “We cannot stay away from industrialisation, nor can we do away with the Tatas. The capitalists will be there and we need their resources to set up factories. There should be a balanced growth with both agriculture and industry,” opined Mr Karat.

World record

Stating that the Left Front government in West Bengal has set a world record by staying in power at a stretch for 30 years.  CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said the only alternative to a Left Front government should be a “better” Left Front government.

Referring to a recent statement by President A P J Abdul Kalam that the country should have two party system he said such a proposal was practically non-viable as the regional parties should get due importance.

Rejecting reports that there were fissures in the Left Front  Mr Bardhan said the misinformation campaign was carried out by the “bourgeois media.”

“There are reports that the CPM and CPI are not going well together.  This is not true,” he said.