Zeenews Bureau
Kolkata, May 09: In a remarkable change of stance in favour of the Congress, CPI (M) General Secretary on Saturday skirted questions regarding his party’s response to Congress’ gestures to the Left for support in a post-electoral tie-up.
In response to questions whether Left would support a Congress led government, Karat told reporters at the airport here, "Let the elections be over first. Let the results come. After May 16 we will think."
Karat said there would be a "realignment" after the
elections and added that parties like JD(U) and NCP would have
to decide whether they would join the Left-initiated
combination of non-Congress secular parties.
Asserting that the BJP would not be in the picture at
all, he said the UPA has started disintegrating and "it is
very clear now that nobody can form government without the
Third Front`s involvement or support."
Asked whether the front would go with BJP or Congress if
it did not get the required numbers, he ruled out going with
BJP and said "nobody will have the numbers. It will be for
Congress to take a decision whether they will facilitate the
formation of a secular government at the Centre."
He said "the Third Front is going to do well. If you take
into account the BSP, which is now fighting separately but
will come with us after elections, (these parties) are doing
pretty well. We can match the Congress and BJP easily.
"We may be number one. Don`t forget that the UPA has
practically ceased to exist. So we are talking about Congress
with very few allies. I think the struggle is between Congress
and the remaining allies that it has and the non-Congress,
non-BJP parties. BJP is not going to be in the reckoning."
The Congress would have to decide what it would do if
"they cannot form a government with the numbers that they
would have along with its allies" like Trinamool Congress,
which he described as "very undependable".
The Left had earlier shifted itself away from the Congress party and was in favour of a non-BJP, non-Congress led Third Front in the country. Karat had earlier also categorically declared that the Left would not back any government under the leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh. This was in the background of the stringent criticism of the Left for the PM signing the nuclear deal.
However, Karat`s party colleague and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had said earlier that the issue was "open" and a decision will be taken based on the poll results.
Reports say that the change in policy could be due to the massive 75% voter turnout, indicating a vote against the ruling CPM. West Bengal has been under Communist rule consistently for 30 years.
Meanwhile the Congress is reported to have welcomed any support to it.
