Left not ruling out alliance with UNPA in future: Karat

BANGALORE: The Left parties do not rule out the possibility of an alliance with the UNPA in future and would like to see the "shape" of its programmes and policies, CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat said on Saturday.

Asked if the left parties view UNPA (United National Progressive Alliance) as 'natural partners' as the latter also wanted to keep equidistant from the Congress and the BJP, Karat said he cannot say yet what "shape" the UNPA would take in future.

"Yes we have noticed that some parties have come together," he said adding it was also a fact that the Left had been working with parties in the UNPA like the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

"But we are still yet to come to any conclusion (on Left parties' approach towards UNPA)", he said. "We would like to find out their programmes, what are their policies, what they propose to do".

Karat also pointed out that some constituents of the UNPA had taken part in the Presidential elections, despite the alliance's decision to abstain from the polls.

"Let's see what shape it takes in the future", he said. "I am not ruling out any possibility. Right now, I can't say. It's too early."