While senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Rai on Sunday said the party might extend issue-based support to a Third Front government, the party swiftly distanced itself from any such possibility.
"We may extend issue-based support, if there is a situation that demands our support to a Third Front government," Rai said. Later in the evening, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party issued a statement, saying "it cannot and will not" be part of any front including parties whose leaders are involved in corruption.
The talk of a possible cobbling together of "secular forces" to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from coming to power has gained momentum in the last couple of weeks with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and a number of other leaders exuding confidence of such a formation.
Rai, considered close to Kejriwal, however, said a decision on the future role of the party would be taken after analysing the election results. "Our movement is for common people and support will be definitely issue-based. The final decision on future action will be taken after May 16," he said.
Taking a different line from Rai, AAP said it had contested the Lok Sabha elections to "present a model of alternative politics before the people of the country and any speculation about the party supporting any Third or Fourth Front is completely misleading and contrary to the party's stated position".
Meanwhile, the Mufti Board of Varanasi said in a statement it had decided to support Kejriwal, a day before Varanasi goes to polls.
"We may extend issue-based support, if there is a situation that demands our support to a Third Front government," Rai said. Later in the evening, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party issued a statement, saying "it cannot and will not" be part of any front including parties whose leaders are involved in corruption.
The talk of a possible cobbling together of "secular forces" to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from coming to power has gained momentum in the last couple of weeks with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and a number of other leaders exuding confidence of such a formation.
Rai, considered close to Kejriwal, however, said a decision on the future role of the party would be taken after analysing the election results. "Our movement is for common people and support will be definitely issue-based. The final decision on future action will be taken after May 16," he said.
Taking a different line from Rai, AAP said it had contested the Lok Sabha elections to "present a model of alternative politics before the people of the country and any speculation about the party supporting any Third or Fourth Front is completely misleading and contrary to the party's stated position".
Meanwhile, the Mufti Board of Varanasi said in a statement it had decided to support Kejriwal, a day before Varanasi goes to polls.
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