The CPI(M) on Friday said the political developments in Karnataka have strengthened the opposition's goal of ousting the Narendra Modi government in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as it pitched for regional arrangements such as the Congress-JD(S) tie-up to take on the BJP.
"Karnataka developments have strengthened and will continue to strengthen the objective of ousting this BJP led government at the centre," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters in Chennai. He was replying to a question about the post-poll developments in Karnataka where the Congress and the JD(S) have formed an alliance to keep the BJP at bay after the May 12 elections threw up a hung assembly.
On a united fight at the national level against the BJP, he said political contours were diverse in the nation and such an ambiance would not be conducive for an "all India-platform or an all India alternative." Instead, region-specific arrangements were required to take on the BJP as in the case of Karnataka, he added.
Yechury said the CPI(M) was willing to cooperate will all the parties that agreed with the twin goals of defeating the BJP and facing four-pronged challenge which included growing economic burden of people and communal polarisation.
He cited the United Front alliance of regional parties in 1996 as an example and said it was brought together "after elections and not before."
"So before the elections, you will have regional arrangements," he said adding they could later come together.
Reacting to the Supreme Court directing a floor test in the Karnataka assembly, he said it was a positive development.
Yechury said his party hoped that the floor test will be held in an "orderly fashion and a proper test is done and not through any other mechanism like a voice vote, a proper floor test is in the interests of Indian democracy."
The Karnataka episode once again demonstrated the "onslaught on Parliamentary democracy and institutions by the BJP-led government at the centre," he alleged.
He further said, "Every institution of Parliamentary democracy is under seige...Parliament itself is not functioning properly.Never in the history of Parliament a no-confidence motion is not taken up for discussion."
The terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission was yet another "attack" on rights of the states and federalism by the BJP-led Centre, he charged adding his party was calling on all non-saffron governments to come together.
"We are asking all non-BJP governments to come together to protest against attack on rights of states," he said.