Singh-Left Saga Ended Up Redefining Nat'l Politics

It was a botched balancing act in 2008 that caused a fallout between then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Left – and redefined national politics.

- K S SREEJITH @T'Puram

When the NDA government was ousted from power after a gap of eight years in 2004, a Congress-led government assumed office with the help of allies. The Left parties, including CPM, CPI, RSP and Forward Block, decided to offer outside support. Things were looking up as the UPA-Left coordination committee was set up to further policy discussion.

It was during this time that many important pieces of legislation were enacted by the first UPA government, including MGNREGA, Right to Information Act and Forest Rights Act. The crucial role enjoyed by the Left in these efforts and the corruption-free image of the PM helped the UPA gain popularity. UPA-I took a left-of-centre position on many key issues, thanks in no small part to the backing of the Left parties.