Karat snubs Pranab, says no backing Congress

23 Apr 2009,

NEW DELHI: On a day when foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee once again held out an olive branch to the Left saying he did not rule out the possibility of seeking the support of the communists, CPM boss Prakash Karat firmly snubbed Congress's peace offer.

Karat, who was in Tirupati alongwith TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, said Congress could only play a supporting role at the Centre. He said "under no circumstances" would Left support the formation of a Congress-led government, a point he had made strongly in an interview to TOI on April 2.

Coming as it does just ahead of the second phase of polling, Karat's comments are a blow to the Congress, which is already embroiled in a war of words with erstwhile allies like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad. NDA has seized on Congress's spats to claim the party would end up being the "third force" after the elections.

Earlier in the day, Mukherjee said, "We are not ruling out any possibility. I am only saying that right now I do not think there will be a need for that." He has made this point before as had Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has said he "was not ruling out or ruling in anything" with regard to post-poll alliances. He had said he was quite happy to work with the Left.

Karat has not relented from this position despite being asked what would be his choice if the alternative to a Congress-led government was a "communal" government headed by BJP. He said Congress had lost the mandate and so had the BJP, paving the way for a "third front" government.

Ruling out any chance of BJP coming to power, Karat explained 2009 will not be a repeat of 2004. He even had a role cut out for Congress. He said it can support a government led by non-Congress secular parties. "Results of 2004 will not be repeated in 2009. We are working for the defeat of Congress. There is no question of any understanding with Congress to help them form government," he had said earlier.

On the question of Left staking claim to the top job, Karat said Left was not thinking of its own PM. "First we have to decide if Left can join the government or not," he said.

As for an agency report from Tirupati quoting Karat that even he could be PM, the CPM boss told TOI, "It is a wrong report. Press conference was conducted on Tuesday morning and the report has come late on Wednesday. I have complained to the news agency editor."

Asked if Left will not support Congress-led alliance even if there is a possibility of BJP forming the government, Karat said, "There is no question of BJP coming to power."

Karat reiterated that UPA was bound to suffer the most as it was primarily an alliance of secular parties along with the Congress.