Left parties working to form non-Congress secular govt: Karat

With his senior party colleague Sitaram Yechury making ambiguous remarks over Rahul Gandhi's overtures to Left parties, CPI(M) chief Prakash Karat on Thursday said the Left parties were working to form a non-Congress secular government at the Centre.

"Our party stand is known. We are working to see that there is a non-Congress secular government at the Centre," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters after casting his vote at Sanchar Bhavan in the New Delhi constituency.

He was replying to a question about Yechury's statement that "all these are matters (relating to post-poll alliances) to be discussed after May 16. Till then our objective is to form a non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre."

Asked for whom he had voted, Karat said "I have voted according to my party's decision."

Earlier, Yechury also said the Left parties would sit and decide "once the battle is over on May 16", the day of counting of votes.

Yechury, who cast his vote at a polling booth in Vasant Kunj under the South Delhi constituency, said even though the main fight was between Congress and BJP, "I am happy with the presence of the Third Front in South Delhi," while referring to the CPI candidate Shrichand Tanwar.

However, he admitted that the non-Congress, non-BJP votes were being divided as BSP had also fielded a candidate from the seat.

"Well there is a Third Front candidate, a Left nominee in South Delhi. It is a nice thing that first time we are giving a fight in Delhi," he added.