Karat rules out helping Congress post-election

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat ruled out on Tuesday the possibility of a post-poll understanding with the Congress, after party heavyweights such as West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee dropped hints to the effect in the recent past.  

External affairs minister and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee has also hinted time and again that his party could seek Left support if required.

“Our stand is clear. We will only support a non-BJP and non-Congress government at the Centre. We will not support the Congress at any cost in the post-poll scenario,” Karat said.

He, however, appeared inclined to receiving Congress support to a third alternative attempting to form the government. “If Congress has the wisdom, it will support us,” he said.

Karat also ruled out projecting Bhattacharjee as the Left’s PM candidate. “We are not projecting any leader for now. All constituents of the Third Front will together decide the PM candidate after elections,” he said.

Asked whether the Third Front had the chance of assuming power at the Centre, he said, “See, all constituents of the Front have successfully run state governments. So, we all feel instead of becoming a tail of the Congress or the BJP, we rather form a united government.”