Bhubaneswar, New Delhi: With barely a week to go before the poll results are announced, the CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat has reasons to feel worried about his allies.
A day after his visit to Chennai, he airdashed to Bhubaneswar to meet with Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik amidst speculation that the Biju Janata Dal may drift away from the Third Front if the regional outfit fails to get a majority in the state assembly.
The two leaders met for 90 minutes and reiterated that they were committed to a non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre.
And Prakash Karat made it very clear they were talking to leaders of all secular parties including Nitish Kumar.
"We don't think any party or combination will get absolute majority that's well known. But I think that the Third Front is poised to make a good effort, a serious bid to form the government. We will be well-placed for that," said Prakash Karat, General Secretary, CPM.
"We are hopeful that other secular parties, other non-Congress non-BJP parties will also come together with us. We have made an appeal to all of them," Karat added.
While Karat is worried about the numbers at the Centre, Naveen Patnaik is busy working out strategies just in case the BJD and its allies, the Left and the NCP fail to reach the majority in Orissa.
That is something the two leaders would have discussed at some length because a hung assembly could force Naveen Patnaik to seek support from the Congress or even the BJP.
And there are rumours that the two parties have already been in touch with the BJD chief. Naveen though says there is no truth in the rumours.
"It sounds as if they are desperate for support but they certainly wouldn't be receiving it from the Biju Janata Dal, neither the Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party," said Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Orissa.
The state BJP though claims a secret deal is in the works.
"We know there is a secret deal between the Congress and the BJD and it will be formalised after the election results are out," said Dharmendra Pradhan, National Secretary, BJP.
Clearly the rumours will continue until the new government is sworn in.