Left Front to support govt which will secure land for farmers: Buddha

"We want a government at the Centre which will secure land for farmers, bank loans for farmers. It is only the Left and like-minded parties that can give such a government at the Centre," Bhattacharjee said at an election rally in the prestigious South Kolkata Lok Sabha constituency which is held by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Claiming that neither the BJP nor the Congress can ensure welfare of the poor of the country, he said, "The country's politics is in such a state that it now seems practical that we will be able to defeat not only the BJP, but also the Congress to form a new government with a new policy."

"A chance has come to turn the country around," Bhattacharjee said.

Lauding China for its success on the economic front, he wondered why "they succeeded and why we failed".

"When we talked about China 10 years back, we were termed its stooges. Their success is now for everybody to see," the chief minister said at a rally attended by a few hundred people at Deshapriya Park.

He attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, claiming that he had failed the country by neglecting poor farmers and that the central government's apathy had led to hundreds of suicide in Vidharbha and other places.

Criticising the Centre for the Indo-US nuclear deal, over which the Left had parted ways with the Congress-led UPA government, he said, "Manmohan Singh has tied the hands and legs of our country with America. We will never agree to close ties with the US."

"I can't think that a prime minister of our country can say 'Indians love President Bush'. Even the British Prime Minister could not say that," Bhattacharjee said.

On the Nano's exit from Singur to enter Sanand in Gujarat, he said the people of Singur had been deprived of a lifetime opportunity to change their lives forever, but a mindless agitation put paid to their chance.

"But I will not bow down. I will decide on what industry will come up at Singur after the Lok Sabha elections," he said.

The Tatas had left Singur over a stalemate between the government and the opposition Trinamool Congress on the latter's demand for return of 400 acres of land to unwilling land-owners of the total 997 acres acquired.