CPI(M) mulls Mayawati's candidature for PM
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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati could be a prime ministerial candidate of a non-Congress and non-BJP alliance at the Centre depending on the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M) said on Tuesday.
"BSP is an important party and the ruling party in UP. We expect them to do well in Lok Sabha elections and therefore the leader of the BSP is going to be one of the people who I think will be considered," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters in Kolkata.
Karat, who was briefing the media after the conclusion of the three-day central committee meeting of the CPI(M), was asked whether the CPI(M) would favour Mayawati as a prime ministerial candidate.
He, however, said "I think it is an issue which we will take at that time ... Our position is that we are working for a non-Congress and non-BJP dispensation at the Centre."
Karat said the central committee discussed the political situation in view of the forthcoming assembly elections in six states and the subsequent Lok Sabha poll.
"For the Lok Sabha elections, the party has decided that it would adopt an electoral platform aiming to defeat BJP, which is a communal party advocating reactionary economic policies, and for the rejection of Congress that is forging strategic alliance with the United States and pursuing anti-people economic policies," he said.
The central committee discussed specific electoral tactics to be pursued in various states and gave direction for election preparations, he said.
Replying to a question on the possibility of a Third Front, Karat said "we will work out the election tactic and some relation with some other parties and then together we will project something that will be obviously popularly known as the Third Front".
"But right now, I am only stating what our party is standing for or working for the Lok Sabha election", he added.
Asked whether the CPI(M) Central Committee identified alliance partners of the Left for the Lok Sabha polls, he said "we have discussed the tactic we should adopt in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. We have come to some understanding or opinion but we will like to decide along with CPI.
"We will discuss with CPI and adopt a common position. And some other political parties we have to consult. The central committee has asked us to go ahead on those lines," he said.
Karat said as far as BSP was concerned CPI(M) had not yet worked out any seat adjustment for assembly elections in some states.
He was asked which way his party would go in forging an alliance in Andhra Pradesh when told that Telegu actor and chief of Praja Rajyam Chiranjeevi had said recently said that CPI(M), which has a tie-up with TDP, would his party's natural ally in the poll.
Karat said "we are glad that somebody has called us a natural ally. We have discussed all these matters in our central committee but we we do not want to make any public pronouncement either way because we are still in the process of consulting with various parties and will take a common approach.
Asked whether the issue of the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee who was expelled from the party, was discussed at the meeting, Karat said the central committee was meeting for the first time after the trust vote was taken on July 21 and 22nd. The committee was given a report on the steps (against Chatterjee) taken by the party's politburo."
He said the central committee discussed the need for restructuring the Centre-state relations and would finalise a document which would be sent to various parties and wanted to revive a nation-wide debate on the matter.
He said the CPI(M) party Congress held in April this year asked the central committee to prepare a document on the need for restructuring the Centre-state relations, the need for more federal structure and more powers to the states.
The party would strongly protest the Indo-US naval exercises which would begin on October 24 on the West Coast, he said.
"The CPI(M) will organise protests on October 24 all along the West Coast by holding rallies and demonstrations in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala against the 'Malabar Exercises'.
"BSP is an important party and the ruling party in UP. We expect them to do well in Lok Sabha elections and therefore the leader of the BSP is going to be one of the people who I think will be considered," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters in Kolkata.
Karat, who was briefing the media after the conclusion of the three-day central committee meeting of the CPI(M), was asked whether the CPI(M) would favour Mayawati as a prime ministerial candidate.
He, however, said "I think it is an issue which we will take at that time ... Our position is that we are working for a non-Congress and non-BJP dispensation at the Centre."
Karat said the central committee discussed the political situation in view of the forthcoming assembly elections in six states and the subsequent Lok Sabha poll.
"For the Lok Sabha elections, the party has decided that it would adopt an electoral platform aiming to defeat BJP, which is a communal party advocating reactionary economic policies, and for the rejection of Congress that is forging strategic alliance with the United States and pursuing anti-people economic policies," he said.
The central committee discussed specific electoral tactics to be pursued in various states and gave direction for election preparations, he said.
Replying to a question on the possibility of a Third Front, Karat said "we will work out the election tactic and some relation with some other parties and then together we will project something that will be obviously popularly known as the Third Front".
"But right now, I am only stating what our party is standing for or working for the Lok Sabha election", he added.
Asked whether the CPI(M) Central Committee identified alliance partners of the Left for the Lok Sabha polls, he said "we have discussed the tactic we should adopt in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. We have come to some understanding or opinion but we will like to decide along with CPI.
"We will discuss with CPI and adopt a common position. And some other political parties we have to consult. The central committee has asked us to go ahead on those lines," he said.
Karat said as far as BSP was concerned CPI(M) had not yet worked out any seat adjustment for assembly elections in some states.
He was asked which way his party would go in forging an alliance in Andhra Pradesh when told that Telegu actor and chief of Praja Rajyam Chiranjeevi had said recently said that CPI(M), which has a tie-up with TDP, would his party's natural ally in the poll.
Karat said "we are glad that somebody has called us a natural ally. We have discussed all these matters in our central committee but we we do not want to make any public pronouncement either way because we are still in the process of consulting with various parties and will take a common approach.
Asked whether the issue of the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee who was expelled from the party, was discussed at the meeting, Karat said the central committee was meeting for the first time after the trust vote was taken on July 21 and 22nd. The committee was given a report on the steps (against Chatterjee) taken by the party's politburo."
He said the central committee discussed the need for restructuring the Centre-state relations and would finalise a document which would be sent to various parties and wanted to revive a nation-wide debate on the matter.
He said the CPI(M) party Congress held in April this year asked the central committee to prepare a document on the need for restructuring the Centre-state relations, the need for more federal structure and more powers to the states.
The party would strongly protest the Indo-US naval exercises which would begin on October 24 on the West Coast, he said.
"The CPI(M) will organise protests on October 24 all along the West Coast by holding rallies and demonstrations in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala against the 'Malabar Exercises'.
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