Bringing the BJP-led NDA in place of Congress-led UPA would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, CPI(M) politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said, hoping there would be no repeat of the 2004 situation when the party had to support Congress.
"I can tell you that we will try to prevent BJP with all our strength. But that doesn't mean we welcome neo-liberal policies of the Congress which were rejected by the people. They should be defeated. They have built two India, one for the rich and one for the poor," Bhattacharjee told PTI here.
"It is not part of our tactical line that to somehow mobilise some political forces and join the Congress bandwagon after the polls," he said when asked whether CPI(M) would go with Congress after lok Sabha polls if the situation so demanded.
Asked if his party will support Congress if a situation like 2004 arose, Bhattacharjee said, "Only if a situation like 2004 arises and that there is no other way.
"But we hope that a situation like 2004 will not arise again, when we had to side with Congress in order to stop the communal BJP."
He said that in 2004 the situation was such that his party had to support Congress. "We hope there will be no repetition of events of 2004," Bhattacharjee said.
The CPI(M)-led left Front had supported Congress after 2004 lok Sabha poll, but withdrew support from the UPA-I in protest against the Indo-US nuclear deal.
He said that a serious situation had arisen with the Congress losing ground and BJP coming up.
"This is not a welcome situation so far as the left is concerned. We have to see how can we play a meaningful role and how can we form a real secular, democratic and pro-people alternative," he said.
Dubbing BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as a threat to the secular fabric of India, Bhattacharjee said, "It is not a simple ambition of a single leader. It is a joint sponsorship of RSS and Indian corporates. It is a very dangerous development."
Claiming that Modi's concept was corporate-oriented development, he said, "Ours is inclusive development. It is not a happy situation in Gujarat as far as education, health etc. Are concerned."
Bhattacharjee also alleged that Modi was yet to come clean on criticism of his responsibility during the Gujarat riots.
Told that various surveys had put Modi ahead of others as Prime Ministerial candidate, he shot back, "So whatIJ That does not mean his policies are justified, they are good.I have some doubt of the findings of these channels and agencies about the methodology of such surveys.
"Hitler had won the elections in Germany in 1933, does that mean his policies were rightIJ" he asked.
Bhattacharjee alleged that a section of media was trying to project the 2014 lok Sabha polls, like US presidential style of election between two individuals.
On Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi as a leader, the 70-year-old Bhattacharjee said, "He is trying to take over. let him try. I don't want to comment on that boy."
Asked about the federal front proposed by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, he said, "There is no taker for such a front. They know her style of functioning."
Bhattacharjee said the left was trying to forge an alternative front. "If you combine both the Congress and BJP's vote share in the past two lok Sabha elections, it was about 46/47 per cent.
"The rest of the parties had more than 50 per cent vote share. We want to bring this 50 per cent together," he added. When pointed that AIADMK had left the alternative front, Bhattacharjee replied, "We are not running after any particular party or leader.
"We are trying to mobilize these parties based on the issues of secularism, federalism and pro-people policies. And, after the polls these issues will be on the forefront. Based on these issues we will try to forge the third alternative, that is in the post poll scenario."
Bhattacharjee, however, avoided the question on how the alternative front would get the magic figure of 272 with just ten regional parties aligning with them.
He said, "All predictions have said that neither Congress nor the Narendra Modi-led BJP will be able to reach that figure. So we are also trying. We want a government with correct pro-people policies" he said.
Bhattacharjee said in case of a fractured mandate, the big parties, especially the Congress might try to win over some regional parties like AIDMK, TMC and SP with the bait of the PM's post.
"There is a possibility of Congress trying to win over regional parties. But we will not give up our effort for forging an alternative. Our basic issue is not leader, it's the policies of the government. Ours main concern is policies," he said.
Speaking about alternative policies, the veteran Communist harped on issues like disinvestment in PSUs, universal rationing system, land reforms, secularism, food security, and education for all. PTI