Top CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu says decision to not support Congress has not been taken

The chances of the Left supporting the Congress-led UPA in case of a hung parliament after the Lok Sabha elections brightened on Friday when nonagenarian CPI(M) leader and former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu gave hints to the effect.

Basu did not commit anything but scotched rumours that the CPI(M) had taken an in-principal decision to not support any Congress-led alliance, come what may. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the CPI(M)'s state secretariat meeting here.

Asked specifically whether his party will support the Congress in case of a hung parliament to prevent the BJP from coming to power, Basu said, "There has been no final decision in this regard."

Basu's views are contrary to that of CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, who had categorically said some time ago that the Left will support only a non-BJP, non-Congress secular group.

Basu admitted that the going will get tough for the Left Front in the Lok Sabha polls if the Congress and Trinamool Congress managed to forge a pre-election alliance.

"It will surely be a tough battle for us then. But we will go the people and try to convince them," he said.

Meanwhile, political analysts said the views expressed by Basu were that of the entire West Bengal unit of the CPI(M). "Any possibility of Left support to the Congress will be advantageous to the Left Front in Bengal. First of all, Left support to the Congress or the UPA will automatically widen the rift between the Congress and Trinamool and all possibilities of an anti-Left alliance in West Bengal will end. Secondly, rift with the Congress will automatically bring Mamata Banerjee closer to the BJP or the NDA once again. In that case, the Left will be able to project Trinamool as a confidant of communal forces," a senior analyst said.

Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication