In a harsh dismissal of the Congress, the manifesto says the Congress is ``bereft of the political and ideological will'' to rally democratic forces against communalism.

However, CPI (M) General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet said the CPI (M) differentiates between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. Even though the Congress may have compromised with communal forces on a number of occasions, its mass base continued to be secular, he said.

But Surjeet is reluctant to come out with any commitment on his party's stand towards the Congress. ``Let's see what happens in the elections,'' he said.

Rejecting the two-party dominated formulation that the only choices before the people are either to vote forthe BJP and allies or to choose the Congress, the CPI (M) has stressed the federal multi-party nature of Indian democracy.

The manifesto lashes out at the BJP for its record of misgovernance which the party says has strained national unity, instilled fear and insecurity amongst minorities, given a boost to foreign capital and big business and promoted the large-scale penetration of the RSS in the administration.

For the Left parties the 1999 elections have also reflected the increasing division in their ranks. Unlike the situation in the last election, when the CPI (M) along with the three other Left parties, the CPI, RSP and the Forward Bloc had presented a common manifesto, this year all the four parties have decided to go it alone.

``We have differences on a number of issues. And there can be no compromise on these,'' said Surjeet, when asked if the separate manifestos were a reflection of the growing rift among the Left parties.

Surjeet said the separate manifestos would also allow the party toplace their position before the people, who could then make their own choices. But this is a minor detail, he said. The CPI (M) would have electoral alliances only with the Left. In constituencies where the Left did not have a candidate, the CPI (M) would support candidates belonging to secular parties.

For those parties which had aligned with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the polls, Surjeet categorically rules out any truck with them during the polls. ``There is no question of supporting those who have strengthened the hands of the BJP,'' he said.

No front with Cong

Calcutta: CPM leader Jyoti Basu has ruled out the possibility of launching a front with the Congress for the coming Lok Sabha polls but said the Marxists would support that party at places where there were no secular candidates. ``There is a need to install a secular government at the Centre... Congress is not a communal party,'' the WB Chief Minister was quoted by CPM mouthpiece Ganashakti on Thursday.