By IANS,
Kolkata : The Left will join a government in which it can play a “meaningful role”, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here Monday.
“If an alternate government is formed according to an unified agenda, there is a change in the country’s internal, economic and foreign policies, and we can play a meaningful role to achieve that, we will join that government,” Bhattacharjee told reporters at a meet-the-press programme here.
He added that his party’s aim was to form an alternate government, without the two major national parties.
“At this moment, we are trying to form a government without Congress, without BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). This is our basic objective at this moment,” he said.
Keeping his options open, he said: “Let the elections be over. Let the results be announced. Then we will take a final decision. At this moment of time I just cannot say who is going to support whom.”
Bhattacharjee said the Left was not “running after a particular party or leader”.
“We are trying to formulate a policy, a formula for an alternate government at the centre. This is our basic objective.”
Following the chief minister’s statement, Congress spokesperson Ashwini Kumar reiterated that secular parties should join a Congress-led government to “support a stable secular government formation post-May 16”.