Date:13/02/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/13/stories/2003021304251100.htm

National

RSP, Forward Bloc to keep off Sonia's dinner

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI FEB. 12. Differences prevail in the Left Front over developing political relations with the Congress with two constituents — the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the All-India Forward Bloc — today indicating their unwillingness to be seen in the company of Congress leaders.

In order to underline their disagreement over the approach of the other two Left parties — the CPI(M) and the CPI — the RSP and AIFB plan to keep away from the dinner being hosted by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, for leaders of the opposition parties this Sunday, on the eve of the Budget session of Parliament.

Both the RSP and the AIFB have opposed any effort by the other two communist parties to coordinate with the Congress in taking on the BJP. Signs of disagreement had come out in the open ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections.

At that time the CPI(M) parliamentary party leader, Somnath Chatterjee, had hosted a dinner which was attended by leaders of most parties in the Opposition.

Even at that time, the RSP preferred to stay away from the meeting where an agreement was arrived at to engage the BJP in a direct fight in Gujarat polls. It is another matter that eventually the Opposition could not achieve this grand objective.

"The Congress is not the alternative to the BJP. The Left Front constituents should realise this. Instead, efforts should be made to organise an alternative third force in the country," the RSP leader and MP, Abani Roy, said here.

The RSP leader said his party was clear in its approach towards the Congress stating that it made a distinction in having issue-based floor coordination in Parliament as against support to the party outside.

Mr. Roy said the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's outburst against the Left parties during a rally in Kolkata was a reflection of the "class character" of the party.

"The Congress in not a friend of the Left," he said.

Meanwhile, the AIFB secretary, G. Devarajan, too echoed similar views. He said the party had no plans to respond to any invitation from the Congress.