CPI workers take out a rally near Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, March 27: The Communist Party of India (CPI) today called for a broader unity among all Left parties to help form a non-Congress and non-BJP front at the Centre.

The party raised the call to end the “rising patronage to multinational corporate and capitalism” at the cost of the marginalised workers.

“The common people are looking for an alternative because they have seen the Congress and the BJP competing against each other in looting the nation’s wealth through corrupt practices. While the Congress has many of its ministers figuring in mega scandals, the BJP is trying to re-instate B.S. Yeddyurappa as the Karnataka chief minister after his return from jail,” CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said, while addressing the party’s rally at Gandhi Maidan.

The CPI took out a procession in Patna and organised a rally at the maidan ahead of starting its formal national congress from tomorrow. An estimated 30,000 people gathered today at the rally braving the blistering heat.

Bardhan slammed chief minister Nitish Kumar but the CPI leader’s attack was directed more against Nitish for keeping company with the “corrupt and communal” BJP rather than his government’s performance. “Nitish babu is doing something that is better than nothing. But why has he failed to implement the D. Bandyopadhyay commission report that recommended 10 decimal land to every homeless family. Why is poverty not declining in Bihar despite Nitish’s claim of 14 per cent growth rate?”

Bardhan added: “Nitish is in the company of the BJP that competes with the Congress in patronising the corrupt. Nitish should stand for the cause of the poor rather than keeping the company with the parties, which are surrendering the nation’s wealth to foreign multinationals.”