Saturday, September 3 2005 16:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) today (Sept 3, 2005) said there was a 'grave' political crisis in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which has affected all its partners, with some of them thinking of parting ways.

"There is not only a crisis within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but a grave crisis is facing the NDA. Some of the partners are thinking of coming out. In this kind of a situation, the spread of the party is essential to fill the vacuum," CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told reporters on the second day of the three-day meeting of the Central Committee.

He said a resolution on the prevailing political situation in the country, adopted by the Polit Bureau yesterday (Sept 2, 2005), was being discussed by the Central Committee.

Yechury said the NDA was not able to play the role of Opposition effectively, which had led the Left parties, supporting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition from outside, to take the initiative in checking the Government from pursuing any 'anti-people' policy.

Expressing 'total support' to the proposed nationwide strike, called jointly by several major trade unions on September 29, he said a mass campaign and struggle would be launched soon in all states on the issues of food and jobs that would culminate in the strike.

On the impending Bihar elections, Yechury said that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress were 'two major secular forces' and therefore had a major responsibility in ensuring that 'secular' votes do not split to benefit the 'communal' forces.

Observing that the Central Committee was debating the issue on how to prevent division of secular votes, the CPI(M) leader said his party would make all out efforts and talk to all secular parties in this regard.

Asked about the Communist Party of India (CPI) taking a different line on the issue, Yechury said, "Yes, they are taking a different line as they are a different party. Otherwise we would have been the same party."

He said it would have to be realised by all concerned that the Lalu Prasad's party was the largest secular formation in Bihar.

To questions on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), he said it was no longer a CMP, but a national CMP which had become the basis of the UPA Government's policy directions."

Referring to various issues in the CMP, including the women's reservation bill, hiking investments in agriculture, education for all and doubling the spending on public health, he said, "If the Government pursues these issues it would also stand to gain politically."