Front Page   

It’s a three-way contest: Karat

KOLKATA: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat on Tuesday ruled out any political understanding with the Congress, while expressing confidence that the Third Front would emerge as the largest combination after the elections.

Addressing a meet-the-press programme here, he said there would be a re-alignment of political forces after the elections, and that the Third Front was working towards a non-Congress, non-BJP government.

“With the campaign over for the first phase of elections today, it has now become clear that this election will see a three-way contest and not a two-way contest. The Congress and the BJP now faced a serious challenge,” he said. “By themselves, they will be nowhere near forming a government. We will be in a position [to do so].”

He refuted the Congress’ charge that the Third Front was turning out to be of help to the BJP and other communal forces. Its formation had neutralised the BJP in States such as Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, he said.

On the issue of the Third Front’s prime ministerial candidate, he said it was a matter to be decided later by the coalition through common consent. Answering a question on whether the party faced a disadvantage in its campaign as it did not project a prime ministerial candidate, he said: “This matter would be decided later.”

On those who said the Third Front was an illusion, the senior party leader countered: “What happened to the UPA? It has practically ceased to exist. All its major partners, like the RJD and the Samajwadi Party, are now fighting the Congress.” As against this, the Third Front was gaining in strength.

He, however, felt that the Left Front would face a tough battle in West Bengal because of the coming together of the Trinamool Congress and the Congress. “This has been factored in and we have to overcome the odds,” he said, adding that he expected his party to do well.

On the issue of Nandigram and whether it would influence the election results in West Bengal, Mr. Karat said Lok Sabha election results would typically be influenced by a mix of the record of the Central government’s performance and State political issues. But he felt Nandigram would not be the only issue in the polls.

On the Gorkhaland issue, he said that BJP had taken an unprincipled stand by fielding Jaswant Singh in Darjeeling. “They need to take a long-term view,” he said.

He said that for the Third Front, the four planks of its common platform were: changing the economic policy, secularism, bringing in an independent foreign policy and restructuring Centre-State relations.

On tackling terrorism, he said his party favoured bringing on international pressure on Pakistan, by creating international opinion, so that its government acted to curb terrorist activity.

Attacking Pakistan would only help terrorism, he felt, as that would destabilise the country.

Replying to a question on the missile deal with Israel, Mr. Karat said the party had been urging the Prime Minister not to let it go through, but the government did not heed the advice. This had become a big campaign issue in Kerala, for example, and was expected to become one in West Bengal too. It will show how the UPA government had dealt with corruption, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Campaign ends for first phase of polls
No more hate speeches: Varun
BJP candidate for Kandhamal held, remanded to custody
‘LTTE continued attacks during lull in fighting’
Enough evidence given to Pakistan, says Manmohan
Clerical error may have caused DNA mix-up
26/11 trial today at Arthur Road jail
“Manmohan is the pride of Sikhs, India”
BJP changes tack on nuclear deal
Chopper lands Lalu in trouble
Rahul targets Advani
It’s a three-way contest: Karat
Collective decision on PM after polls: Pawar
Jayalalithaa to keep post-poll options open
UPA divided in Jharkhand
Getting the best of both worlds
A battle of the heavyweights
The Kannada vote in Kasargod
Madhavan Nair, Abhinav Bhindra receive Padma awards
Cuba does not want charity: Castro
Insecurity of employment haunts Satyamites
Maruti unveils second K-series engine
IPL a blessing in disguise before T20 World Cup: Gambhir
I am more confident now, says Abhinav
Journalists urged to prepare status report on Parliamentary constituencies
Public wells turn into garbage dumps
45 crorepati contestants in Lok Sabha elections in State
‘Close shave’ for Srinivas
“Pakistan training women infiltrators”
Arjan Singh turns 90 today
Tirumala hundi untouched by the meltdown
High security cover for Kasab trial
New bus services to rural areas invite ire of opposition parties
7 jawans buried alive in avalanche
Bus stand proposal for Mayiladuturai shelved
No ‘wave’ for any party in north Telangana
Medical wastes, sewage ruin river
Zardari approves sharia in Swat valley
One more Maoist killed in Orissa
FIR registered against Sanjay Dutt
Manmohan for top post non-negotiable: Congress
Ship crew back in Mumbai, ordeal ends
Gold touted as still the safest bet

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu