The CPI (M)’s manifesto reaffirms its anti-BJP stand, in which it holds the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responsible for the coming general elections. “After the last general elections, the BJP-led alliance was nowhere near commanding a majority in the Lok Sabha. Inspite of this, the BJP opportunistically formed a government under its leadership”, it states.

Hitting out at the RSS, it says that the BJP “believes in Hindutva, and is committed to dismantling the secular-democratic values of the Indian Republic. It also lashes out at the BJP by describing its 13-month rule a disaster.

It accuses the BJP of ”increasing authoritarianism”, for it used the “draconian Article 356-not once, but twice-to dismiss the elected Bihar state government. It is only the firm stand taken by the President and the BJP’s failure to muster a majority in the Rajya Sabha, which foiled this brazen attack on democracy”.

It goes on further to attack BJP’s stand on most of the issues ranging from Prasar Bharati to its economic policy and from Pokhran to Kargil.

It also stresses that Congress is not the alternative and that it is a party bereft of the political and ideological will to rally all the secular and democratic forces to fight the menace of communalism.

The manifesto reinstates its stand on not compromising with communalism in any form. The Left parties stand for uniting all sections of the people in order to advance the struggle to bring in alternative policies opposed to liberalisation and communalism.

The CPI (M) advocates:

• Legislation for separation of religion and politics in light of the Supreme Court judgement in the Bommai Case;
• Effective prohibition on the use of religions issues for electoral purposes;
• Implementation of the Protection of Places of Worship Act to see that no disputes on religious places arise;
• The Ayodhya dispute to be referred to Supreme Court under Article 138(2) for a speedy judicial verdict;
• Special steps to prosecute all those found guilty by the Sri Krishna Commission for the Mumbai riots of 1993.
• Federalism for National Unity