AGARTALA, August 14 (TIWN): CPI (M) would focus on strengthening left alliance in the country by expanding its alliance beyond the current three left parties in the days ahead, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said here today.Addressing the 35th anniversary of Daily Desher Katha, the party journal of ruling CPI (M) in Tripura here today, Karat said that the party would henceforth look for new left parties, groups, individuals or left sympathisers as a part of the expansion drive.

"We want to form a broad left platform to take lead against the overt saffronization started by the BJP and its NDA government at the centre", Karat said. 
He added that the last central committee meeting held at New Delhi earlier this month resolved to lay highest stress on consolidation of the left base across the country. 
Speaking about the new government under Narendra Modi at the centre, Karat said, "There is no difference between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led NDA government and the previous UPA government".
NDA government is moving in similar directions of neo-liberal economic policies like the Congress led UPA regime, he said.
"The Narendra Modi government is bringing about a major rightward shift in the national politics", Karat today said. He added that the new government is trying a similar approach in the nation's socio-political arena.

The CPI (M) chief said that communal overtones were propagated in the BJP government and said that at least 27 incidents of communal clashes occured in Gujarat between Hindus and Muslims since the formation of the nww government. He said situation was similar in sevem other states of the country including Uttar Pradesh.
The situation is very unstable for maintaining secularism and national integrity of the country, Karat said.
He criticised the overt saffron agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party in educational sector and said that the ruling party was trying to brainwash children by introducing communal issues in school textbooks.
"We are anxious that the situation might escalate communal tension in future", the party supremo said.
Referring to the major decisions taken in the 2.5 months of NDA government including absolute attempt at introducing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Karat said that the new government had proposed for foreign investment in insurance, railways, defense beside disinvestment in public sector undertakings. 
"It is imperative that the nation becomes aware of the new situation. Price rise is spiking and days are tough for workers and farmers ahead", he said.
Karat said that the situation offered tough challenges for the left forces in the country.