No electoral alliance with BSP: CPI(M)

Ruling out any election alliance with the BSP in the coming Lok Sabha polls, the CPI(M) said the two parties would, however, come together on common issues to keep the Congress-led UPA and BJP-led NDA at bay.

Ruling out any election alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party in the coming Lok Sabha polls, the CPI(M) on Saturday said the two parties would, however, come together on common issues to keep the Congress-led UPA and BJP-led NDA at bay.

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"BSP is a party which does not enter into poll alliances. Everybody knows that. So neither the BSP nor the CPI(M) is talking about having seat or electoral adjustments. Since they are also taking a stand to fight the Congress and BJP, we are making contacts," CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters here at the concluding day of the party's three-day central committee meeting.

"We have talked to BSP to come together on common issues. On issues like the Indo-US nuke deal and trust vote, the two parties took a common stand, so we are going to cooperate," he said.

BSP has assured CPI-M that it would fight for the defeat of the Congress and the BJP, Karat said On whether there would be any post-poll alliance with BSP, Karat said, "Cannot say anything now. As far as we are concerned, they are part of Non-Congress Non-BJP camp." On alignment with parties which are part of the ruling central government, he said, "if they come out of the alliance with UPA, definitely we will consider. There are secular parties in both UPA and NDA."

"We are told that in Andhra Pradesh, the TRS has distanced with UPA and is holding talks with Telugu Desam Party (TDP).