Unveiling plans for institutionalising a third alternative from a common policy platform, the CPM today called the BJP its “No. 1 enemy” and said the Left parties have the responsibility to initiate the process of formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative.

The CPM, its general secretary Prakash Karat said, was in discussion with some parties and forces to achieve this goal.

Saying the third alternative cannot merely be an “electoral alliance to meet current exigencies”, Karat said: “We do not want a situation where there is a Congress-led combination and a BJP-led combination. Neither do we agree with the policies pursued by these two parties.”

While the draft political resolution for the Coimbatore party congress — it was released today — states that “it will not enter into any alliance or united front with the Congress”, Karat remained non-committal on supporting a Congress-led coalition after the next Lok Sabha elections. Politburo members Sitaram Yechury, S Ramachandran Pillai and K Varadarajan were also present.

On the Indo-US nuclear deal, Karat said he was “tired of answering questions” on this issue and maintained there was no “forward movement” on the deal. India hopes to wrap up the safeguards negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency this month.

“It has gone to the IAEA. It will come back to the (UPA-Left) committee which we have set up. When that comes we will see. It is not going forward anywhere,” he said.

The draft political resolution, which provides CPM the larger direction framework for the next three years, states “the party differentiates between the BJP and Congress, considering the latter as a bourgeois party, though it often vacillates when communal forces take the offensive. The party will continue to adopt tactics for isolating and defeating BJP. It will not enter into any alliance or united front with the Congress.”

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