Mangaluru: The general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxists) Sitaram Yechury said here on Thursday that there would be a “stiff battle between communal forces and others” in the coming Assembly elections in Karnataka as the BJP is planning re-entry in the South.

Speaking to reporters on the last day of the 22nd State-level conference of the party, he said as the BJP has “tasted blood once” by forming the government in Karnataka, the coming elections is the only entry point for it now in the South.

Any move to form the grand alliance or ‘mahaghatbandhan’ to “defeat the communal forces” would be clear only as the elections near.

But the parties in the grand alliance would have to place a clear alternative before the people through well-defined alternative policies before forming the mahaghatbandhan. Otherwise, it would be of no sense. “We will talk to others like the Janata Dal (Secular). If they agree, we can form the mahaghatbandhan.”

“It is important on what basis you are appealing to the people,” he said, adding that netas (leaders) are not important but neetis (policies) are.

To a question on whether the CPI (M) will invite Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani for the coming Assembly campaign, Mr. Yechury said he has already participated in different platforms of the party earlier. Now, he is taking on the BJP vigorously.

He said the reforms of the Narendra Modi government were creating economic inequalities by making the rich richer and the poor poorer.

Ever since the NDA came to power, communal polarisation has been increasing in the country.

Mr. Yechury alleged that the NDA government was curtailing the democratic rights of people by curbing holding of dharnas and protests.

He said his party was opposing the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, in the Rajya Sabha because “violation of civil contract cannot be converted into a criminal offence”.

Muneer Katipalla, State president, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Vasancha Achari, general secretary, Dakshina Kannada unit of the CPI (M) were present.