UP results leads secular candidate to Prez elections

New Delhi, May 11: The CPI(M) today asserted that following the Uttar Pradesh poll outcome, the composition of the electoral college was in favour of a ''secular party'' candidate for the Presidential elections due in July.

While congratulating the BSP chief Mayawati, who is all set to become the UP Chief Minister for a fourth time, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury hoped that both the BSP and the SP would be part of the secular parties who have the great responsibility to send a political personality with ''impeccable secular credentials'' to the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The Left leader said that after the ''humiliating defeat'' of the BJP, Ms Mayawati would not side with the NDA.

At a press conference, Mr Yechury, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP, said, ''As of now, the UPA and the Left combination have an advantage. ''I hope and am confident that she will consolidate the secular parties in the larger interest of the country.'' He added that in the times to come, all the secular parties including the Congress, the Left, BSP and the SP would come together to elect the new occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Mr Yechury, accompanied by party Floor leaders Basudeb Acharia and Rup Chand Pal in the Lok Sabha, however, chose not to divulge the details pertaining to the choice of the ''secular candidate''.

The Left leader asserted that electing a ''secular'' candidate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan was all the more important in the present coalition era in the country.

To a specific query on the reported Left candidates - Somnath Chatterjee or Jyoti Basu, he simply quipped, ''Only after the next Monday, formal discussions among the secular parties will take place on the issue.'' On the Left's poor performance in the polls, he said, ''One of the main reasons was that the Left parties could not present a united face.'' On the reasons for the defeat of the BJP, the Left leader said it was a ''heartening development as the socio-economic issues will come back on the political scene. The UP electorate has rejected the BJP's communal agenda of 'robust Hindutva (Prakhar Hindutva)'''.

Besides, the incumbency factor was also one of the major factors in UP polls.

Meanwhile, the CPI has welcomed the result of the UP assembly poll in which ''the people have opted for a stable government.'' CPI national secretary Shamim Faizi said the party had noted that the BJP had been reduced to half of what it got in 2002 elections.

''The CPI views the result as an indication of rejection by the electorate of the communal and castiest agenda in the country.

Social engineering reflected in the results needs to be noted by the Left and it should draw its tactics in accordance with this.''

UNI