CPI(M)'s opposition to Congress will benefit BJP: Shakeel

New Delhi, Oct 17 (UNI) The Congress today asked the CPI(M) to desist from opposing the party as it would only help the BJP indirectly.

''If they are opposing the Congress, they are inching towards committing another historical blunder,'' AICC Spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told mediapersons, while reacting to the statement of CPI(M)General Secretary Prakash Karat that his party would appeal to voters to defeat the BJP and reject the Congress.

He said such a statement was hypothetical at this stage.

Moreover, there would never be a scenario in which both the Congress and the BJP would be rejected by the people.

Pointing out that the CPI(M) had realised only later that they had committed historical blunders in 1977 and 1989 by supporting non-Congress governments.

''Though they are inching towards committing the third historical blunder, they will not succeed,'' he said.

Referring to the dharna staged by Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and his cabinet colleagues of the Left Democratic Front government in the capital today in protest against the alleged neglect of the state by the Centre, Mr Ahmed said, ''It was a political gimmick.'' He said the CPI(M), which had supported the UPA government for four years, had now started launching agitation against it by keeping its eyes on the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

''Not only the Kerala Chief Minister, some other CMs will also take stand against the Centre in the coming months in their bid to make political capital.'' UNI SH RSA BD1938