•Manoj C.G.: A view heard after your party’s national executive and the Kerala state executive meeting was that the CPI played second fiddle to CPI(M) on the Third Front question and other decisions of the Left.

I do not agree with this because the decisions were taken collectively—even the decision to support the Congress-led UPA government from outside was a collective decision of the four Left parties. This was the practice at the national level. In Kerala, in West Bengal, there were some state-specific problems. In Kerala, there were certain issues that could have been handled differently. For instance, the Lavalin case could have been handled differently.

•Coomi Kapoor: How differently?

This is an issue to be discussed within the LDF and in the CPI-M primarily, because the charge is levelled against the CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. It is a public issue now and the LDF as a government has to address that issue. Previously similar allegations have been made and the leaders had stepped down from their positions. Then there was an inquiry, they were proved innocent and they were reinstated. Also, the way some parties were treated, for instance, the JD(S) could have been dealt with differently.

•Manoj C.G.: Would you like Mr Pinaryi Vijayan to step down?

The allegation is against the CPI (M) state secretary and the LDF committee will have to discuss.

•Coomi Kapoor: What about the projection of Mayawati?

The Left did not project Mayawati ji or anybody as the prime ministerial candidate. After the confidence vote in Parliament last July, the BSP and the Left started working together. That was when people began to speculate about Mayawati being the prime ministerial candidate. We were asked if we supported her as the prime ministerial candidate. If asked such a question, you will not say no—after all, this is a democracy. If she can be the Chief Minister of the most populous state in India, if she has the numbers to stake claim to form the government at Delhi, who can prevent her? When Mr Manmohan Singh and Mr. Advani were named as prime ministerial candidates, this question did not arise. Why are these questions being asked in Mayawati’s case? I think there is an element of prejudice here, a bias against Mayawati.

... contd.