Chandigarh: INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala on Tuesday said he will contact opposition leaders soon to forge a "third front" at the national level and also revealed plans of a lunch meeting with BJP ally and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.
Asserting that the biggest need today is to get rid of the "anti-people" and "anti-farmer" government at the Centre, Chautala said before September 25, the birth anniversary of former deputy PM Devi Lal, he will try to meet opposition leaders and urge them to come on one platform.
"It will be our endeavour to form a strong third front," said the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader, who was recently released from jail after serving a 10-year sentence in a recruitment scam.
Chautala claimed that if a strong third front is formed, then many who support the government will leave it, ultimately leading to a situation where mid-term polls may take place.
"It will be my endeavour to see that a strong third front is formed and later in the polls it achieves success so that this anti-people and corrupt government is routed," the former Haryana chief minister told reporters.
On being asked if he will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he said, "Although this is not an issue of today's topic, I want to tell that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had telephoned me."
"He will have lunch with me at my residence on August 1. When two political leaders sit together, then political issues are naturally discussed," he said replying to a query.
INLD sources said Nitish Kumar had recently spoken to Chautala over the phone to enquire about his well-being.
JDU leader K C Tyagi had also visited Chautala's Gurgaon residence and it was during their meeting that Nitish had spoken to Chautala over the phone.
Nitish Kumar will be visiting Chautala's Gurgaon residence next month, the source said.
On Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Chautala said he has "good family relations" with her.