Eleven non-Congress and non-BJP parties are meeting in New Delhi today to form an alternative alliance for upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Talking to AIR, CPI(M) leader and Central Committee Member Nilotpal Basu said that the parties are likely to come out with common approach to fight the Congress and the BJP. He said, the party leaders in the meeting, will also discuss ways to strengthen the efforts of the consitutent political parties in the elections in their States.

Apart from the four Left parties, the others in the combination are JD(U), BJD, AIADMK, JD(S), Samajwadi Party, Asom Gana Parishad and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik). Chief Ministers Nitish Kumar and Naveen Patnaik, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, CPI leader A B Bardhan, CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury are among those expected to attend the meeting.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat had earlier said that the emergence of such an alternative would become a rallying point for all secular-democratic forces who are opposed to Congress and BJP.