PTI

Kolkata, May 4: Despite CPM general secretary Prakash Karat having categorically ruled out support to a Congress-led government at the Centre, senior party politburo member Sitaram Yechury on Monday said the party's next step would be decided only after the elections.

"We will decide what will happen post-election, but right now our objective till the elections are over is the third alternative. However, we do not think the need to support a Congress-led government will arise," Yechury told a press conference here.

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Asked about Karat's statement in Kolkata recently that the Left would not extend support to a Congress-led coalition again, Yechury said, "I do not know in what context he had said this. We will meet and decide what will happen post-election."

Yechury said the Congress leaders were openly saying after the third phase of the elections that they would take support of the Left if the opportunity to form a government arose.

"But this is an admission of their realisation that they are not coming back to power. Our objective is to form a Third Front government and we are confident about that," he said.

Asked if the Left was approached to support a Congress-led coalition minus Manmohan Singh as the prime minister, he said they were not concerned about individuals, but issues.