JOIN USCPI-M today rejected the 'national government' idea mooted by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee saying it would be a "hotchpotch arrangement".
An alternative government should be based on programmes and policies and then only it would be sustainable, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said while briefing the deliberations of the three-day party Central Committee meeting that concluded here today.
He said that the party was also opposed to the proposal to hold simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
On questions on alternative government, Yechury said "you cannot have an alternative as suggested by Mamata Banerjee. A national government...instead of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, you have Advani as Prime Minister, both belonged to same party. It would only be a hotchpotch".
"The alternative should be based on programmes and policies, then only it will be sustainable", he said adding the Left would take initiative in giving shape to such an alternative.
To a question on the allegation of TMC supremo that CBI raid and arrest of her party MPs in chit fund scam was part of political vendetta of BJP, Yechury said CBI was acting on the scam as per the directive of the Supreme Court and it has nothing to do with the present demonetisation.
Yechury also said that both Modi and Mamata are "playing tantrums". One caters to Muslim community and the other to Hindu community, he said.
On the Centre's decision to advance the annual budget, Yechury said all opposition parties have opposed this.
"We are opposing due to two reasons...first, it has to be done after consulting with other parties and none of us have been consulted. Second...election process to five states have already begun. We have already appealed to the President and Government on India on this," he said.
On the strategy to be adopted in the five states going to polls, Yechury said CPI(M) along with other Left parties would contest these elections independently projecting the left alternative policies against the dangers of the current neo-liberal economic offencive on the people.
In UP, the party's focus would be fight communal forces and combinations, he said and also ruled out the possibility of a "grand alliance" in the state.
Yechury said CPI(M) was not averse to have adjustments with AAP in Punjab. But, AAP has to clarify on certain issues like economic policy and fight against communalism.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to political parties to come clean on their funding, Yechury said 'PM must first answer how the BJP is funding its political rallies. Till date, the country does not know how much PM spent in his 2014 election campaign", the CPI-M leader said.
Attacking the BJP led NDA government on demonetisation issue, he said CPI-M has planned a country wide campaign to expose the real motive behind the note ban.
"It has only helped the corporates and caused sufferings to common man", Yechury said.
None of the objectives whether unearthing black money or end of corruption listed by PM at the time of note-ban were achieved, he alleged.
CPI-M wanted the Centre to remove all restrictions on the withdrawal of money and announce a debt waiver for farmers suffering due to the disruption of normal agricultural activities.
"CPI-M would conduct an independent campaign later this month exposing the real intention of the demonetisation as part of the BJP government's commitment to neo-liberal economic reforms", he said adding "any political party can join us in the campaign".
Yechury also downplayed the criticism for holding the three-day Central Committee meeting in a luxury hotel here saying that the venue was fixed by the state committee considering the "logistic and expense" aspects.