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Room for non-Cong, non-BJP formation, says Bardhan

Feels Modi can both be a liability as well as an asset for the BJP

Press Trust of India Bhopal
Maintaining there was ample political space in the country to accommodate non-Congress and non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forces, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A B Bardhan on Saturday said there were many chief ministers among the 11 parties firming up to form a Third Front; one could be elevated to prime minister after the Lok Sabha polls.      

"In case these parties are able to get a majority in the Lok Sabha polls, there are many chief ministers among us and anyone of them could occupy the top post," Bardhan said.      

"After all, BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi is also only a chief minister of Gujarat," he said.

ALSO READ: Third Front formation possible only after LS polls: Yechury
 
 
Asked if the Aam Aadmi Party could join this conglomeration of non-Congress and non-BJP parties, the former CPI general-secretary said it could do so as the party was also opposed to both the Congress and the BJP.      

"But that party has to take the final decision on it," Bardhan said.

Criticising the BJP for declaring Narendra Modi as its PM candidate much before the Lok Sabha elections, Bardhan said, "there is no provision for a Prime Minister in-waiting in the Indian constitution."

On Modi's credentials, he said that nobody can forget his role during the 2002 riots in Gujarat.
 
"It does not matter if he had been given a clean chit by some probe agencies," the CPI veteran said.      

Modi is such a person who can both be a liability as well as an asset for the BJP, he felt.      

It was because of Modi that the Janata Dal (U) which had been an ally of the BJP in the NDA, parted ways from the combine, Bardhan said.      

About US softening its stand on Modi, Bardhan said he did not attach much importance to it.

 
"I think this is a very trivial matter," he said.      

"The US has historically always supported all those who it thinks are opposed to the Left and its softening towards Modi must be seen in this context," he added.
 
On the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal, he said, "I think that Kejriwal's resignation from the post of Delhi Chief Minister had become inevitable."      
 
He had made a large number of promises to the people and fulfilling them had become very difficult because of which he chose to quit, Bardhan said.       
 
On February 5, in indications of emergence of a Third Front in view of the Lok Sabha elections, 11 non-Congress, non-BJP parties had formally joined hands as a block in Parliament to pitch for pro-people, anti-communal and federal agenda.        
 
Following this, they recently met informally at the residence of JD (S) chief HD Deve Gowda in which it was decided that leaders of all these parties will soon hold discussions to give a concrete shape to the Third Front.

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First Published: Feb 15 2014 | 9:32 PM IST

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