CPI to give big fight for Rahul Gandhi

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI national general secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy said the decision on forming a secular democratic alternative government to BJP and PM candidate would be taken after the polls.

At a meet the press programme organised by Kesari Memorial Journalist Trust here Mr Reddy said that the Congress can be part of the secular democratic coalition. But whether it will be accepted as leader of the Opposition coalition cannot be said at this stage, he said.

The CPI leader said the Left parties had already made it clear that pre-poll alliance was not possible under the present circumstances and prime ministerial candidate cannot be announced before elections. After the polls, all secular democratic parties which are opposed to the BJP and Narendra Modi would meet and decide their prime ministerial candidate.

On Mr Gandhi, the CPI leader  said the LDF will try to defeat him in Wayanad. “At a time when efforts were on to build a anti BJP nationwide platform, the Congress president’s decision to contest from Wayanad  has sent a wrong signal. He could have contested from Karantaka, Tamil Nadu or any other state. In Kerala the UDF and LDF are engaged in a direct fight and there is no BJP,” he said.

He rejected the prediction of poll surveys.

“Most opinion polls in 2004 predicted a dismal performance for Left  in Kerala. When results came, LDF had secured 18 of the 20 seats. Opinion polls are sometimes biased and sometimes purposeful,” he said.