The Hindu : National : `Left will play crucial role in government formation'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

National

National

`Left will play crucial role in government formation'

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, APRIL 27. The Left parties will play a crucial role in the formation of a new government at the Centre as no single party will get a majority, according to the CPI (M) general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr. Surjeet said the CPI (M) would decide on the question of joining a new government after assessing the post-poll scenario.

"The question of joining or not joining a new government will be decided later and the decision would be taken, keeping in mind the interests of the country," he said.

Commenting on the exit poll results which predicted a hung Parliament, Mr. Surjeet said political parties would have to arrive at some understanding after assessing the emerging situation.

According to him, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which went into the first phase of polling in an upbeat mood, was now "begging before the people" and was on the defensive. The optimistic mood that prevailed in the BJP had changed over the last one month and the party was finding the going tough, he said.

Mr. Surjeet said the National Democratic Alliance never existed during the Vajpayee regime and the front met only once in a while. The NDA was on the decline and 11 constituents had left it over the years.

Mr. Surjeet felt that the emerging political situation was more favourable to the Left parties, which were expected to improve their presence in Parliament. In Kerala, the Left was in an advantageous position given the shift among the masses in favour of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), he said. On the alliance of the CPI (M) with the Congress in Tamil Nadu, he clarified that the party had an alliance only with the DMK in Tamil Nadu. It was the DMK that had forged an alliance with the Congress. The Congress was not in a strong position in Tamil Nadu and all those who were determined to defeat the BJP had joined hands in that State, he added.

Asked how he could campaign for defeating the Congress in Kerala as the CPI (M) had entered into an alliance with that party in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Surjeet said he had never asked the people to defeat any party but to elect the LDF candidates.

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