Non-Congress, non-BJP alliance impossible without Left: JD(U)

KOLKATA: Saying that talks between CPI(M) and JD(U) leadership were on over the possibility of a third front, JD(U) national general secretary Arun Srivastava today said such an alternative is viable without Left parties.

"Talks on forming a third front are on between CPI(M) and JD(U) leadership in New Delhi. Our leader Sharad Yadav had already spoken to Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury. We believe that a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative is not possible without the Left Front," Srivastava said.

Srivastava was in the city to make a courtesy call on Left Front chairman and CPI(M) politburo member Biman Bose to appreciate the vote cast by the Left Front MLA in favour of JD(U) in the Bihar Assembly trust vote.

Asked if such a political front can have both Left Front and Trinamool Congress in it, he said "We don't have any problem if both the parties are in it."

The JD(U) leadership a few days back had responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's call for a Federal Front and had sent its leader K C Tyagi to meet Banerjee.

Asked how can JD(U) talk to both Trinamool and Left as both are arch rivals in Bengal, Srivastava said "We don't have any compulsion that we can't talk to Left if we talk to TMC."