Basu dismisses going with Third Front on Prez poll

Kolkata, Jun 22 (UNI) Asserting that the Left parties would not join hands with Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and his allies, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu today said the Third Front would fail to make any impact on the Presidential Election or the National Politics.

'' We do not have any relation with them. The issue of the Third Front will be discussed in the next Polit Bureau and Central Committee meeting of our party. But we are not with them, '' Mr Basu told reporters after attending the CPI(M) State Secretariat Meeting.

To a question whether the SP-AIDMK-TDP combine would have any kind of influence on the Presidential Election and the National Politics, Mr Basu said : '' I do not think so. '' His comments came amid a political manoeuvering after the Third Front named President A P J Abdul Kalam for the highest Constitutional post for the second time making it less easy for Congress candidate Pratibha Patil to have a cakewalk victory in the July 19 election.

The possibility of Dr Kalam becoming a candidate made it uncertain for the BJP-led NDA nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to pitch for the post of President raising prospect of a greater number of votes being put together in favour of the present President.

The Left parties, which had extended unstinted support to Ms Patil as a common candidate, however, had already made it clear that they would not budge from their stand to go in favour of Dr Kalam.

UNI