To keep BJP at bay, Left rethinks allergy to Cong

NEW DELHI: Even as the Left continued to work towards its ideal of a non-BJP , non-Congress , Third Front government, both the CPM and the CPI reiterated on Thursday that their bigger enemy was the BJP ���- and if push came to shove, they would consider supporting a Congress-led government, as reported in Thursday���s edition of TOI.

������ We will not create a situation that helps the BJP,������ said CPI(M) politburo member M K Pandhe. Added CPI central secretariat member C K Chandrappan, ������ It is very clear that we will try our best to prevent the BJP from forming a government.������ The toning down of the Left���s rhetoric against the Congress is possibly based on an assessment that the Third Front may not stick together ���- and that different parts of it may choose to align either with the Congress or the BJP.

Meanwhile, Left leaders spent Thursday keeping in touch with TDP, BJD, AIADMK and BSP leaders . Sources said CPI���s national secretary D Raja spoke to BSP���s Satish Chandra Mishra. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat is already in regular touch with Mishra who is likely to represent BSP during May 18 meeting. Reiterating Left���s position, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said, ���The decision to work for a non-Congress , non-BJP government was taken by the Central Committee.���

Working hard to ensure that none of its allies switch sides, Left seems to have given up on Nationalist Congress Party as a possible ally to form a non-Congress secular government. ���Sharad Pawar is more concerned about Maharashtra. The state goes to polls later this year. He cannot break away from Congress at this stage since he needs their alliance during the assembly election,��� a Left leader said.

But a section within the Left is not so hopeful of third front���s future. Barring TDP, a source said, all other constituents are likely to switch sides. ���For all these parties, it is more important to retain their standing in the state,��� a senior leader said.

However, sources said it is unlikely that CPM���s crucial politburo meeting, to be followed by the central committee, will mark any radical change in the party���s stand on the formation of a secular government . A large section of the party thinks that the threat of Trinamool is not a good enough reason to support a Congress-led government at the Centre. ���What is the guarantee that Mamata Banerjee and Congress will not have a tie-up again during the next assembly election. In 2001, she came out of NDA and fought the assembly election in alliance with Congress and later went back,��� a source said.