The Communist Party of India, Marxist (CPM) polit bureau member and Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechuri on Monday said that the prospects of the third front would be clear only after the results of Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters at a ‘Meet the Press’ program at Nagpur press club, Mr.Yechuri said, “Since 1977, the coalitions in the country have been formed only after the elections, be it the UPA or the NDA. The post- poll scenario will decide the roll of the third front, but we would work for a non-BJP, non-Congress and a secular government at the centre”.
Mr.Yechuri informed that his party was in touch with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, the Janata Dal United (JDU) in Bihar, the Samajwadi Party (SP) in UP and the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) of the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in Karnataka and a big group of all these parties could emerge after the polls.
Mr. Yechuri denied that the support base of the Left was shrinking in West Bengal, but accepted that his party faced a tough battle in the state which was once known as the Left bastion.
“We fared decently in the just concluded civic polls in West Bengal. But an atmosphere of terror reign in the state and people are being prevented from coming out and voting. We will win substantial seats if people are allowed to come out and vote freely” claimed the Marxist leader.
On the possibility of the CPI(M) aligning with the Aam Admi Party (AAP) in the near future, Mr.Yechuri said that it would depend on the economic policies of the AAP.
“They are still not clear on many important issues such as the economic policies, communalization, and terrorism. Let them first clear their stand on these issues”.
Mr. Yechuri also slammed the euphoria around the NaMo and RaGa factors saying main issues are not at all being discussed in this euphoria.
“Those with good policies will stay for long, but those who win by playing with the emotions of the people won’t last long” replied Mr. Yechuri when asked about the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
