The Hindu : National : All parties fighting NDA have a role, says Karat

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Sunday, May 02, 2004

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All parties fighting NDA have a role, says Karat

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM, MAY 1. The CPI(M) politburo member, Prakash Karat, has warned against complacency on the part of secular forces in spite of the fact that the election trends so far showed that the BJP-led NDA was not doing well in the earlier phases.

Speaking to The Hindu here today, the CPI(M) leader said the next two phases of the elections to the 14th Lok Sabha would prove crucial in forming an alternative government at the Centre.

The CPI(M) would play its role in facilitating the formation of a secular government, though "all we can say about the nature of the Government is that it would be a coalition,'' he said. Any attempt to define it more clearly at this juncture would be premature.

Mr. Karat clarified that all parties which played a role in defeating the NDA would have to sit together and thrash out the details. This include the Congress, the Left parties, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Nationalist Congress Party, he said.

"Different parties would have different ideas about the type of government. Such an exercise would not be successful at the exclusion of the Congress,'' Mr. Karat said and added that it would not be proper on the part of any party to put any precondition in this regard now.

Reacting to a question, he said the issue of participation would be taken up at the meeting of the CPI(M)'s central committee scheduled after the elections, "though we have a basic understanding on the issue.'' "Rather than the persons involved with the Government, we will be interested in the policies,'' he said.

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