‘Pan-India parties must work with regional parties… In Karnataka, Congress should have had some poll understanding… with Left, other secular parties’: D Raja

The status accords a party several advantages, from the permission to use a common symbol across states, to free airtime during polls on public broadcasters and a party office in New Delhi, etc..

The CPIs diminished status reflects an ongoing, pan-India trend over the past several decades..

Raja: I dont think so Even today, if you consider intellectuals, theoreticians or political analysts they are Left-minded people, irrespective of whether they are directly associated with Party X or Party Y..

They have led to the emergence of new trends in social life like consumerism, individualism There is huge unemployment in the country One should not just look at a few sections in the cities or urban centres One should not think that everything is OK and people are moving on happily One has to go to the slums and villages to witness the levels of poverty and suffering Thats why there are spontaneous movements time and again For instance, the Kisan movement, which wasnt organised or led by any one party, but emerged as a movement...

Raja: Thats exactly my point. In Karnataka, the Congress should have entered into some electoral understanding seat-sharing with the Left and other secular democratic parties..

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