Mayawati gets Karat’s vote of confidence

The CPI(M) believes that BSP leader Mayawati has a good chance in the race for the Prime Minister’s post if a non-Congress, non-BJP formation does well in the coming LS elections, reports Saroj Nagi.

The CPI(M) believes that Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati has a good chance in the race for the Prime Minister’s post if a non-Congress, non-BJP formation does well in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

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CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said, “The issue is not whether we support her or not for the post. She has the ability to get a large number of seats in the Lok Sabha polls.”

In an interaction with women journalists here on Monday, Karat said, “There has been no problem in all the discussions we have had with her so far.” The CPM, which parted ways with the UPA over the India-US civil nuclear deal, is pitching for a third force to take on the Congress and the BJP.

When asked if his party would support the Congress again to keep the BJP out of power, Karat said, “2004 wouldn’t be repeated. We cannot support a government which has a strategic alliance with the US.”

Admitting that CPM had committed “administrative and political mistakes” in handling the Nandigram issue in West Bengal, he said people would reject those who had blocked the Tata project in Singur.