New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) The Third Front could ask the Congress to support it to form a government in a post-poll scenario, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat has said.
He also said the decision not to allow Jyoti Basu to become prime minister 13 years ago was not a historic blunder.
In an interview to NDTV, he said the Congress party’s support could be sought after the Lok Sabha polls: “We can do business with them and ask them to support an alternative secular formation, it’s possible – why not, I don’t rule it out.
“It’s not a question of untouchability. We’ll do business with all parties but that business will be circumscribed by the nature of the mandate,” he said.
Karat also said there was no bitterness between him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh even though they had parted ways.
On not allowing Basu to be prime minister, he said: “The decision to not allow Jyoti Basu to become PM was not a historic blunder.”
The CPI-M boss led successful moves in various party fora, including the politburo and central committee, against Basu’s ambition to become the prime ministerial candidate of the United Front 13 years ago.
The Communist patriarch was the chief minister of West Bengal when he was offered the candidature in 1996.
Later, Basu termed the party decision a “historic blunder”.
The interview is to be telecast Sunday at 10.30 p.m.