JD(U), Left, JD(S) leaders hold meeting to push Third Front idea

In a significant development, the national capital has witnessed a firm political effort for a ‘Third Front’ after the leaders of non-BJP and non-Congress camp had a meeting with JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda at his residence in New Delhi on Monday morning.

The meeting of top regional leaders ahead of the upcoming general election has created a political flutter and taken up very seriously by the leaders of Congress and BJP. ‘In the meeting it was decided to take preparation for a formal meeting with 11 parties (four Left parties, Samajwadi Party, JD (U), AIADMK, AGP, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, JD (S) and BJD) after the ongoing Parliament session to chalk out the strategy,’ Gowda told mediapersons.

Earlier, on 5 February, these 11 political parties have expressed their common views on pro-people, anti-communal and federal agenda in the Parliament, which was seen as a possible coalition for a Third Front. ‘Therefore it was necessary for us to sit for a meeting to plan our next formal meeting with all the 11 regional parties,’ a Forward Bloc sources said.

When asked who were present in the meeting, he said, ‘Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI leader AB Bardhan, Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda.’

CPI (M) general secretary said, ‘We have discussed about how to make Third Front a success. Luckily, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was also present in Delhi, we thought of discussion with him directly. We are working out about how to take it forward.’

Kumar (Nitish) termed the meeting as ‘informal’ where non-BJP and non-Congress parties leaders were present.

It was learnt that all the 11 regional parties, after having a formal meeting soon after the Parliament session, will jointly hold public rallies and meetings in Bangalore, Patna, Odisha and in Kolkata to send out a message of unity of a non-Congress, non-BJP force considering the coming Lok Sabha elections.

‘I wish for a positive outcome from the meeting where 11 regional parties will be present soon. A clear picture on the future of third front will be clear only after the meeting,’ Forward Bloc sources said.

CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury took the Third Front a step further by describing it as a possible ‘First Front’. He said, ‘The aim is to formulate policies which would bring relief on the economic front and protect people from communal forces. Any alliance would only take shape after the Lok Sabha polls and not in the run up to it.

However, with the much hyped meeting, the Left parties are extra cautious considering the mistakes they have committed in 2009 when their announcement of a pre-poll alliance for an alternative government backfired.