Date:30/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/30/stories/2007103055801300.htm

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No plan to create third front in near future: Prakash Karat

Special Correspondent

Discusses nuclear deal with Karunanidhi

— Photo: S.S. Kumar

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and the party’s Tamil Nadu secretary N. Varadarajan with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi when they called on him at his residence in Chennai on Monday.

CHENNAI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said here on Monday there was no danger to the UPA Government at the Centre.

After emerging from a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, he told the media: “As far as we are concerned, there is no threat to this government…We have no plan or intention to create a third front in the immediate future.”

Mr. Karat said he discussed the “current developments” with Mr. Karunanidhi. “We discussed the nuclear deal. We are interested that all the parties have a common approach on the nuclear issue when it comes up for discussion in Parliament in the winter session. We have not discussed anything about [the formation of] a third front,” he said.

Going to Delhi

Mr. Karunanidhi expressed the hope that outstanding issues would be sorted out through discussions. Asked about his meeting with Mr. Karat, he said they discussed the events that had happened till then. “I have said that the remaining [issues] could be discussed when I am in New Delhi in the first week of December.” [Mr. Karunanidhi is scheduled to attend the National Development Council meet in New Delhi in the first week of December.]

Mr. Karat did not talk about the possibility of a third front, he said in response to a question.

Asked if the status quo in the relationship between the Congress and the Left parties that he had brought about continued, he said this would be known only after he went to New Delhi. “I can say [anything] only after I meet [UPA chairperson] Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.”