ADDRESSING media persons in Kolkata on October 17, 2014, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said that various Left parties are coming together on a nationwide platform for a joint campaign. In the political situation after the Modi government was formed, there is a rightwing offensive. In order to counter this, there is a need for a strengthened Left, which is possible only by forging a wider Left unity. In this connection consultations with various Left parties are taking place. Prakash Karat met the SUCI (Communist) General Secretary Pravash Ghosh and RSP leader Kshiti Goswami. On November 1, a meeting will be held in New Delhi in which the CPI(ML)-Liberation and the SUCI(Communist) will attend apart from the CPI(M), CPI, Forward Bloc and RSP. The meeting will decide on the programme of joint action.