Kolkata: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday asserted that “an alternative secular government" would come to power at the Centre after the Lok Sabha election. Without naming who would be the next Prime Minister, he however underlined that there would be a “post-election formation” by different regional parties. Dismissing the BJP’s prospect of coming to power in the pre-poll surveys, Mr Yechury observed that the country has seen a “non-Congress PM” in the past also.

He informed that a CPI(M) delegation would visit the Election Commission in Delhi on Monday to lodge a complaint in anomalies in the EVMs in the first phase of the polls. At state CPI(M) headquarters, Mr Yechury said, “This election is going to be the most crucial in independent India because its outcome will determine whether India will continue to remain a secular democratic republic as defined by our constitution or not. That is why the importance of this election and that is why the need to defeat the BJP at the all-India level.”

The CPI(M) general secretary underlined, “We are fairly confident after participating in election campaigns in nine states though one phase is over. The campaigns will intensify. But the general observation is there is going to be an alternative secular government at the Centre post-election.”

He noted, “The BJP is propagating what is the answer to Mr Modi; who is the Opposition candidate? They call it to be Kichri Sarkar as there is not really a gatbandhan (alliance) that has been formed with all fighting each other in states. These are their three strengths of arguments which the PM is giving. But this is actually a flashback to 2004 situation. What did we hear then? Who is the alternative to Atal Behari Vajpayee? How can the alternative government be formed.”

Htting out at the BJP Mr Yechury argued, “They had then given the same arguments. All of us know what happened in 2004. The person who came in 2004 was the longest serving continuous PM after Jawaharlal Nehru. Even Indira Gandhi could not do it continuously. We have faith in the people like they decided in 2004. It is inevitable in a country like India where  regional parties have influence in different states.”

He added, “There will be a formation of an alternative secular government. The CPI(M) is committed to the creation of such a government.