Lucknow: Aiming at creating a "third alternative" sans the Congress and BJP, CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat met Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in Lucknow on Saturday and said both parties were working together on a number of crucial issues.
Karat, who had a 45-minute meeting with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, told reporters his party was trying to create a third alternative and the Samajwadi Party had joined the Left parties in protesting against the UPA Government's economic policies.
He said the CPI-M was trying to forge the third alternative sans the Congress and BJP.
The party has earlier stated that such an alternative would not be a purely election- oriented one but would emerge from joint struggles on common issues.
"We had jointly protested the hike in petrol and diesel prices and the response in UP was very good," Karat said.
Yadav, who was also present, charged the Congress-led UPA of resorting to every possible tactic to topple his government.
He said the Samajwadi Party was working with the Left on issues of common interest.
Karat warned the UPA that the Left parties would decide their future course of action on their ties after they received the ruling coalition's studied response to the nine-page note on the Government's performance.
"We have given support to the UPA to keep the BJP at bay at the Centre. This does not mean that our support should be taken for granted," he said.
Karat reiterated the Left-ruled states of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura would reduce sales tax on petrol and diesel whenever the Centre did so.
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