CPI(M) wants secular govt with Cong support

The CPI(M) hinted at the possibility of all secular forces, including Congress, joining hands to form a non-NDA government at Centre.

Claiming that the BJP-led NDA alliance would not get absolute majority in the Lok Sabha polls, the CPI(M) today hinted at the possibility of all secular forces, including Congress, joining hands to form a non-NDA government at the Centre which "may not necessarily be led by the Congress".

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In an interview to PTI, the CPI(M) Politburo member Anil Biswas said it was already making efforts to bring together the non-Congress, non-NDA regional parties on the basis of a common "political understanding and principles" to form a "secular government" in the event of a hung parliament.

"And yes, Congress will also have a role in it because without its support a government cannot be formed but it should not be taken for granted that Congress will lead it. It would not necessarily be a Congress-led government," Biswas said.

Asserting that, "we want consolidation of secular forces in the country," Biswas, however, remained non-committal about CPI(M) joining such a government saying, "We will decide our role on the basis of a Common Minimum Programme of the secular parties. You may call it a complex composition."

The comment by Biswas came close on the heels of another top CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat's statement that the party was keeping all its options open and even consider giving outside support to a non-NDA government which would include Congress.

Refusing to attach much importance to growing proximity between BJP and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, Biswas expressed hope that the SP supremo would join the new alliance saying, "we are in the process of talks with various parties including SP, BSP, DMK, RJD, National Conference and PDP for a post-poll political understanding."

Biswas, who is also the state secretary of CPI(M), said that his party has to play a crucial role in the formation of a secular government reminding that numerically CPI(M) is the third largest party in the Parliament.

"Our target is to defeat the NDA and form a secular government and the Congress though the main opposition should realise that it can't fight the NDA alone. It is a declining force. It has to depend on regional parties including us to form government," he said.

Stressing the growing role of regional parties, Biswas said, "do not look down upon them. Regional parties are playing a major role since the mid-eighties and the curve is still on the rise. It will depend how we address the parties after the polls. The pre-condition to these, of course, was more left seats in West Bengal".

He said CPI(M), which is confident of once again emerging as third largest force in Parliament, would strive to bring the non-Congress, non-NDA regional parties together.

Conceding that CPI(M) has serious differences with Congress on the economic issues, Biswas said, "our fight is against communal forces as well as Congress. But we have decided to support secular parties, including Congress, in other states where we do not have significance presence so as to prevent division of anti-BJP votes."

He said that leftists have emerged as a strong force in West Bengal due to Congress' "anti-people" policies during its tenure before the Left Front government came to power in 1977.