Nothing's final until its final especially as far as election 2009 goes. As campaigning wound up for the final phase on Monday evening there were signs that the Congress and the Left could work together again.
In Ludhiana, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said all secular parties had an obligation to work together, while in Kolkata Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was candid about how the Left would take a final call on whether it can or can't work with the Congress after May 16.
The CPM on Monday made a distinction between its pre-poll and post-poll stand meaning it is open to talks with the Congress after the results are out on Saturday.
"What Prakash Karat said was pre-election position of our party, at this moment we are trying to defeat both the Congress and the BJP. But we have to take a final decision after the results are out and we will take a final decision on the basis of the results of the election," said Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Chief Minister, West Bengal.
Within hours there were some encouraging and some tough comments from the Prime Minister.
"The UPA will form the government. There is no doubt about that. Politics is the art of the possible. Those who got angry, they can be won over," said Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister.
"I believe that all secular forces have an obligation to work together. Nuclear issue is not an issue. The issue of forming next government will be decided only after the elections results are there. We have to be patient till May 16 to know what is the situation on ground," said the prime minister.
However, is there a more immediate political motive to Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's softening of stand, a major part of West Bengal votes on Wednesday and observers, this could be part of a strategy to create a divide between the Congress and its alliance partner in the state, the mercurial Mamata Banerjee.
No wonder at political rallies, the rhetoric is still at fever pitch, even from old Left friend Pranab Mukherjee.
"Left parties have taken 60 years to arrive at 60 seats from 16 seats in 1952. At this rate they will have to wait for 250 years to form government," said Pranab Mukherjee, Union External Affairs Minister.
