Won't support non-Congress govt at Centre: Antony

In a clear message to the Left and regional parties, Defence Minister A K Antony today said it would not support a non-Congress government at the Centre.

"Under any circumstances, we will not support any government other than a government led by Manmohan Singh...But others can support us if they want to keep the BJP away from power," Antony told journalists here.

Exuding confidence that Congress will emerge as the single largest party, he said the Third Front being propped up by the Left was "just a dream."

Seeking to play down reported strategy of leaders like Sharad Pawar and Lalu Prasad of keeping their options open, he said they had neither left UPA nor had the Congress thrown any party out.

He said it was true that Congress had decided not to have a national alliance but the state units had been given freedom to have local tie-up. In 2004 also, the UPA emerged after the polls. Similarly, these parties could become partners in the Congress after the elections this time too, he said.

Asked about CPI-M leader Prakash Karat's statement that in the post-poll scenario the Congress would have to support the Third Front, he said "they cannot expect such a reciprocity after fighting us in the polls".

Calling the Third Front a 'bundle of contradictions' Antony said its leaders would not be able to reach an agreement on any issue.

"How could CPI-M carry together BSP's Mayawati and SP's Mulayam Singh ? How could CPI-M have an alliance with BJD forgetting what had happened at Kandhamal?" he asked.

He said Congress alone could offer a stable government carrying all sections of the people and safeguard the nation's integrity when it was faced with serious problems like terrorism and infiltration from neighbouring countries.

He said it was also essential to have the Congress government to continue and carry forward the development initiatives it had taken in the last five years.

He said Congress's "number one" political opponent at the national level was BJP, which was competing for an alternative government. But in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura the Left was the main rival of the Congress, he said.

Asked how he saw the CPI(M)'s 'controversial understanding' with PDP led by Abdul Nasser Madani, Antony said he did not take it as the prime agenda of his campaigning in the state.

Antony, however, recalled that when Madani was detained as an undertrial in Coimbatore blasts case, he had supported the campaign for 'humanitarian treatment' of the PDP leader. Even at the time, his position was that law should take its course regarding the cases in which the PDP leader was involved, he said.