Cong, Left cannot be brought together now, says Pranab

The Congress and the Left parties cannot be brought together at this juncture, feels External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee discounting NCP chief Sharad Pawar's view on the issue.       

"He (Pawar) believes that both Congress and the Left can be brought together but I do not believe, at this juncture, that this is possible. What would happen in future, none of us is a political astrologer. We cannot do that (forecast)," Mukherjee told NDTV.        

Pawar had expressed the view that the antipathy displayed by the Congress and the Left parties was "posturing" during electioneering and that he had no doubt that both the sides would show pragmatism to come together after the poll results are declared.        

Holding that the NCP leader has always given "mixed signals", Mukherjee said.
 
"Upto now I have no reason to believe him (Pawar) because he has stated and he believes firmly that Left support is necessary. "And he believes that he can manage it. Therefore it is his conviction. I cannot shared his conviction," the External Affairs Minister said.