Yechury wants Congress to decide their priority

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury has said that the Congress must decide what is their priority in the Lok Sabha elections, whether to fight against the BJP or the Left front.

“With Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from Kerala where the contest is traditionally between the Left front and the Congress-led front, the Congress will be facing questions on what their priority is. What message are they giving with Rahul’s contest in Kerala? For the CPM, the priority is to defeat the BJP-Sangh Parivar and for a secular government,” Yechury told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Yechury denied reports that the Left parties put pressure on the Congress against Rahul contesting from Wayanad.

He expressed confidence that the LDF will win all 20 seats in Kerala, including Wayanad, as it swept 18 seats in 2004.

There was no chance of the Left front changing the candidate at Wayanad ( P P Suneer of the CPI), he said.

Yechury also expressed doubts over Rahul’s poll prospects at Amethi, even as he evaded a direct reply whether Rahul opted a second constituency as he was doubtful about a victory at Amethi.

“I can’t say whether Rahul will win Amethi or not. But the alliances had not worked well in UP,” he said.

Yechury also said that a pre-poll grand national alliances were not possible in India as there were many regional parties that have regional political priorities.

All the major alliances that so far ruled India were also formed after the polls.

Asked if any NDA partner would join an alliance of secular parties after the polls, Yechury said that nothing can be predicted in politics.