Left leader sees Cong-backed United Front-type govt after LS

Veteran Communist leader Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy sees a coalition of parties supported by the Congress to form the government at the Centre-- similar to the United Front regime more than two decades ago.

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of India feels neither the NDA nor the UPA may get majority to form the government.

"It may be a hung Parliament this time", Reddy told PTI Monday.

Asked if Left parties were in favour of joining hands with the non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional outfits proposed by Telangana Rashtra Samiti supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Reddy said they want to wait till the Lok Sabha election results come and then decide.

"We are more inclined that there should be anti-BJP government. This front which KCR (Telangana CM) is proposing is trying to create an impression as if the regional parties get the majority. They will not get majority," he said.

According to him, they have to either get the support of the BJP or the Congress or they have to support one of the fronts -- UPA or NDA.

"And it shows, he (KCR) is more anti-Congress than anti-BJP. We (Left parties) are more anti-BJP than taking an anti-Congress stand. So, we have to wait and see the developments. We are not opposed to non-BJP, non-Congress government at the Centre, with the support of the Congress but not with the support of the BJP", Reddy said.

"Maybe it's like United Front (government) earlier", he predicted, referring to the 13-party coalition between 1996 and 1998 supported from outside by the Congress.

There might be a possibility the NDA may get the largest number of seats but it will be "very far off from the majority that's needed to form the government," Reddy claimed.