NCP welcome to join our front: CPI-M

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is welcome to join the Third Front, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said Thursday.

"NCP is welcome to join us if they want to quit the UPA," CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said.

He was asked if the NCP would become a part of an alternate front of non-Congress, non-BJP parties.

Yechury pointed out that NCP was not in alliance with the Congress in every state.

"In Kerala it is part of the Left Democratic Front and in Odisha the NCP had an alliance with the Left."

Yechury also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress may ally soon.

"At his rally in West Bengal, Narendra Modi almost said 'Vote for Mamata' in the state and for the BJP in the centre. An alliance between the two may be coming up soon.

"Mamata had joined the NDA even after the Gujarat riots, so she should not have any problem (doing the same) now."

Yechury objected to Modi's comment that the "Third Front wants to make India third rate". "Such third-rate level of discussion is appalling."