Only post-poll alliance can form govt says Sitaram Yechury
Political leaders are free to form any kind of front before the 2019 elections, but only a post-poll alliance would form government after the Lok Sabha polls, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said.
"Nobody can be denied their democratic rights," Yechury said, referring to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's idea of a "Federal Front" to take on the BJP.
"Let's see how things unfold. People can have their ambitions, arithmetics. Nobody can be denied their democratic rights. Remember, in India, the fronts that formed governments were always forged after the elections.
"Many people form many fronts before elections. But, the government would be formed based on a post-poll alliance," Yechury told reporters.
He recalled that the United Front was formed after the 1996 elections, and the UPA was cobbled together after the 2004 polls.
On
the
political
situation
in
West
Bengal,
the
leader
said
that
the
Left
parties'
main
objective
would
be
to
defeat
both
the
BJP
and
the
Trinamool
Congress.
"In
Bengal,
there
is
no
question
of
joining
hands
with
the
BJP
to
oust
the
TMC
or
vice
versa," Yechuri
asserted.
He also criticised Banerjee for "murdering democracy in West Bengal".
On one hand, Banerjee hails the "victory of democracy" in Karnataka and on the other hand, she "murders democracy" in Bengal, he said.
Asked about the Left's strategy, Yechury said that the Left defeated the Congress in West Bengal in 2004 and helped it form the UPA at the Centre.
"Out of our 61 Lok Sabha members, 57 entered the Lower House by defeating Congress nominees," Yechury told reporters.
Yechury along with Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI's S S Reddy and D Raja would attend the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka chief minister-elect H D Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru today.