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No Post-Poll Alliance With United Progressive Alliance (UPA): Karat

By Sumit Kumar, Section UPA - United Progressive Alliance
Posted on Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 11:26:20 PM EST

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat has ruled out any post-poll alliance with the UPA. Karat recently spoke to Kairali TV, a Malayalam TV channel in which CPM members hold majority shares.

The English version of the interview was being carried by some English television channels. In his interview Karat said, "there is no question of a tie up with the Congress at all."

He also conceded that the Left had made a miscalculation in trusting the Congress party on the Indo-US nuclear deal. He said, "It seems it was a mistake."

Karat's assertion comes in sharp contrast to the stand taken by several UPA partners, including many Congress leaders who are still hoping to strike an alliance with the Left after the next general elections, despite the recent bitter parting of company between the two, earlier this year.

The CPM general secretary explained that, "Political parties which were not a part of the Congress and the BJP-led coalitions joined forces with the Left only after realising they had a common agenda - opposition to the nuclear deal."

Asked about the credibility and viability of a third front with Mayawati who had three stints with the BJP, Karat said, "I never talked about the third alternative. Our party's understanding of the third alternative is not some combination to fight elections. The third alternative should be in terms of policies and programmes. We didn't consider the UNPA as the third alternative. We told them that this alternative we were thinking about."

Stating his stand and his support for the third front, Karat said, "We can support and stand by them on issues of price rise, fighting inflation, going against Nuclear deal. A third alternative should be something which is more stable, which runs on certain programmes."

Karat said, "We will fight the Lok Sabha elections by not speaking of a third alternative. There can be a non-BJP and non-Congress force which can be considered as a third electoral force. This is what we are working for."

Meanwhile, speaking exclusively to The Tribune Karat said, "I had said in this interview that coalitions will be there even after the next general elections. But there need not be a Congress-led government necessarily."

The CPM general secretary said, "We are opposed to the BJP but we are not bound to support a Congress-led government. There can be other alternatives too and we are working towards that end."

The BSP has welcomed Karat's declaration. BSP Rajya Sabha member Ambeth Rajan said, "Good step. This is the last chance for the Congress to lead the government at the Centre. They will either have to support us or sit in the opposition."

Source: Faraz Ahmad From Tribune News Service, August-01-2008

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