Efforts on for non-Congress, non-BJP alternative: Karat

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat Saturday said the Left parties were trying to bring together all secular parties for a non-Congress and non-BJP alternative.

Talking to reporters here, he said the efforts were on to evolve such a combination before Lok Sabha elections but declined to call it a "third front".

Karat said while about 10 non-Congress and non-Bharatiya Janata Party parties were trying to come together and may also cooperate for Lok Sabha elections, the formation may take a concrete shape only after the polls. He said this would also depend on the election results.

The CPI-M leader believes AIADMK, the Janata Dal-United, the Janata Dal-Secular, the Biju Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party besides the Left parties may be part of the non-Congress and non-BJP alliance.

Karat said CPI-M had decided to field candidates in 35 Lok Sabha seats spread over eight states. The party may field candidates in other states after reaching electoral understanding with regional parties, he added.

"We have not yet taken a decision about other states because we may have electoral understanding with different parties. We are having consultations with them," he said.

Asked about YSR Congress party, he said while CPI-M consider it as a secular party, it had not taken a decision on having electoral understanding with it.

Karat alleged that Congress was trying to bring women's reservation and communal violence bills in the ensuing parliament session for political benefits. He said the CPI-M along with secular parties like SP and JD-U would work out a common strategy in parliament.

On Telangana, he said there was no change in the party's policy for a united Andhra Pradesh.