Madurai, May 2 : CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said corruption in the UPA Government has touched record levels.

Mr Karat, who was addressing an election campaign meeting here last night, seeking votes for Madurai Lok Sabha constituency candidate, P Mohan, alleged that Rs one lakh crore Telecom Spectrum Scam, was used in the Madurai election. Unless the Election Commission prevented it, free and fair polls would be well-nigh-impossible, he added.

Accusing the Congress-led UPA Government for economic crisis in the country, the CPI(M) leader also criticised the BJP for adopting the same economic policies pursued by the Congress.

Mr Karat reiterated that the Manmohan Singh Government pursued harmful economic policies such as allowing Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) in retail trade and more foreign capital for bank and insurance sectors, which the Left parties blocked.

India, otherwise, would have suffered like the United States and the financial sector would have faced a collapse and it is for these reasons, the Third Front wants the Congress and its alliances to be defeated, he added.

He alleged the Congress propaganda that the Indo-US nuclear deal would provide electricity for people is fraudulent, as it involves enormous cost of Rs 2,80,000 crore. The country’s foreign policy was mortgaged to the United States by signing the deal, he alleged.

Mr Karat said the Third Front was trying to form a non-Congress and non-BJP alternative at the national level and urged the voters to exercise their franchise for the AIADMK-front in Tamil Nadu on May 13.