Exuding confidence that the opposition parties would be able to put up a common candidate in the coming presidential polls, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday said the effort was to zero in on a person capable of preserving the secular democratic fabric of the constitution.
"The secular democratic fabric of the constitution has to be preserved from the Rashtrapati Bhavan. We have to find out such a common candidate," he told media persons on the sidelines of a programme at Khardah of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.
Yechury said talks were on among the opposition parties to firm up a consensus candidate.
"Talks are on among opposition parties. You will get to know at the right time who we are speaking to. And then you will see a common candidate," he said.
But Yechury declined to name any individual who was being considered for the top post.
"How can I name? The moment we name somebody, the CBI will be used against him. L.K. Advani's name had cropped up. Now there is a CBI probe against him. Wait, and you will know the name at the right time."
Replying to a query about Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's scheduled meeting with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, the Communist Party of India-Marxist chief said it was a matter between the two leaders.
"In a democracy, everybody has the right to talk to anybody," he said.
Asked whether the CPI-M would speak to the Trinamool on the issue, Yechury said: "There was a discussion among likeminded parties. The responsibility of who will talk to whom was finalised in that meeting.
"I was given some responsibility which I carried out. Others also have been given some specific responsibility, which they will fulfill", he said.
--IANS
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