New Delhi: With just one phase left for voting, it seems like a free for all where political parties are keeping ideology aside in a bid to reach the magic number. And right when there is speculation if there is something called the Third Front, the Left is doing all it can to get parties show their support to the third force.
"Sharad Pawar can decide after the elections. I think the logic of the situation will force him to join us," CPM general secretary Prakash Karat had said.
"Nitish Kumar has said he will neither support the Congress nor the BJP. He will be with us. We have been in touch with him," said West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
"We have worked with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan," said CPM leader Sitaram Yechury.
The Left is keeping its doors open to any party that will help form a non-Congress, non-BJP government.
Naveen Patnaik's split with the BJP was a boost to the Left, but they need more. Karat, who worked out the pre-poll tie-ups, is likely to focus on Mayawati and Pawar. But the focus isn't only on big alliances, but also the number of alliances.
Therefore, Yechury has been in touch with Sharad Yadav to win over Nitish Kumar's JD(U), and his rivals Lalu and Paswan.
The plan is simple - get as many regional parties as possible into the Third Front, so the Congress and the BJP are left with fewer allies.
But the Third Front knows it cannot get to the magic figure of 272 seats by itself. It will need support from the Congress, so will they ask for it?
"We will discuss these issues after May 16," said CPM leader Sitaram Yechury.
Sitaram is hopping across from one meeting to another, to form a Third Front government, but he knows he has to play a crucial role in the days ahead.