Question on PM face is useless, opposition unity will be created at state level first: Yechury

New Delhi [India], September 14 (ANI): Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Sitaram Yechury has said that question about a common opposition face to take on the BJP-led NDA in 2024 general elections "is useless" at this stage and that unity among opposition parties before the general election will be created at the state level first.
He said it is an endeavour of CPI-M that there should be maximum unity of secular democratic forces. Yechury said a general election is not a presidential election and there were also questions about a common opposition candidate against then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections but the BJP was voted out.

"It will be a Lok Sabha election, it is not a presidential election. The same thing had arisen during the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee that who would be the face of opposition against him and the result was that a non-BJP government was formed which lasted for 10 years," Yechury told ANI.
"Who will be PM face, this question is useless. The question is whether to save the country or not? The answer is we have to save the country," he added.
The CPI-M leader said it is imperative to keep away BJP from power and efforts are on for that.
"Unity will be created at the state level first and our priority is to protect secular democratic values. Today secularism, democracy and the constitution of the country is in danger, there is pressure on the constitutional institutions. Today democracy means that whoever wins the election, the government will be formed by the BJP, so it is imperative to keep away BJP from power and efforts are on for that," he said.
Asked about Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, he said every political party has the democratic right to carry out its programmes.
"Ask him. If it is two days in UP, 18 days in Kerala and 19 days in Karnataka, then ask Rahul Gandhi. He will answer this question," Yechury said.
"Why would we be angry with Congress party for 18 days Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kerala? Everyone should do their own thing, there is nothing to be angry and happy. This is every party's own democratic right so it is not a violation of democratic right," he added. (ANI)