CPM: Anti-BJP front talks relevant post LS elections

Kolkata, May 24

Refusing to attach much importance to the attempts by various Opposition parties to form alliance against the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said “arrangement” to form the government in Delhi would take shape “post-election”.

“Before the 2014 General Election also there were talks of the Third Front, the Fourth Front, the Federal Front, and so on, but did any of these materialise?” Yechury, who is here to attend the party’s state committee meeting, said while addressing a press conference. He said since the elections were round the corner, “these talks (about electoral tie-ups) were happening”.

“All arrangements to form the government at the Centre — these arrangements are all formed post-election,” Yechury said.

“In1996, United Front was formed after the elections. Deve Gowda became the Prime Minister. In 2004, UPA was formed after the elections,” Yechury said, citing instances of foes turning into friends to form the government at the Centre.

“In 2004, Left parties were 61-MPs strong and they supported the Congress-led government at the Centre. Fifty-seven (57) out of the 61 MPs had got elected by defeating Congress candidates,” Yechury told mediapersons.

On the CPM electoral strategy, Yechury said appropriate tactics would be adopted to prevent splitting of anti-BJP votes. He, however, added that in Bengal there was no possibility of the CPM reaching an electoral understanding with the TMC for the 2019 poll. The CPM was of the view that TMC and BJP were flip sides of the same coin.— TNS