Mamata rekindles hope for Federal Front again
21 Nov 2013 1:33 AM GMT
Incidentally, amidst Mamata’s call for a Federal Front and her vision for a United India Front, which she coined soon after the meeting with Reddy, the CPI (M), in their central committee meeting which was held recently, has decided to call off the idea of the Third Front. After the Indo-US nuclear deal by the UPA, on 8 July, 2008, CPI (M) leader Prakash Karat withdrew support from the central government but was surprised to see no support to their cause from other ‘friendly’ leaders including Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati and J Jayalalithaa. In 2009, the Left Front, despite pitching for Mayawati as a prime ministerial candidate for their Third Front, received another jolt when the whole idea failed to bear any result.
Party sources said this is one of the reasons why the CPI (M) has decided to call off the idea of Third Front (at present) sensing similar results. They also feels that if it (Third Front) actually happens then other political parties will go to Mamata rather than CPI (M) because of her party’s ‘expected’ better results in the coming Lok Sabha Election. The move is surprising as the Left had recently organised a conclave of non-BJP and non-Congress parties in the name of fighting communalism.
Reddy’s meeting with Mamata comes at a time when she is urging regional parties to come together. Talking to the media persons soon after the meeting, Mamata said: ‘We are not for a Third Front, we are not for Secular Front. We are for a United India Front.’
The meeting was held at the new state administrative headquarters ‘Nabanna’ in Howrah district in West Bengal. Reddy has decided to meet Mamata for her support to build a national consensus against a separate Telangana state and to stall the bifurcation bill in Parliament. Mamata, who is fighting against the demand for a separate Gorkhaland, said, ‘I am happy to meet him and I would like to say that the public should have been consulted and other options should have been explored before taking such decision. We have made our stand very clear that we are always for united India and the people of this country.’
She said, ‘There will be local demands in other states but that can be solved by creating more districts and more development especially in the backward regions. But if there is unanimous demand considering the local people and parties then a state may be bifurcated. This is what happened in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. All parties supported it. But bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh for coming general election is not acceptable.’
On the context of discussion over Federal Front with Reddy, she said, ‘Many issues were discussed.’ Reddy said, ‘There is an urgent need is to stop the bifurcation bill when it is brought in parliament. I have requested Didi (Mamata) for her support and she was kind enough to extend her support.’
He added, ‘We have been demanding for an amendment to Article 3. It should have two-thirds majority supporting the bill to split the state. Otherwise no government in Delhi should be given the power to arbitrarily split a state at their whims and fancies.’
Party sources said this is one of the reasons why the CPI (M) has decided to call off the idea of Third Front (at present) sensing similar results. They also feels that if it (Third Front) actually happens then other political parties will go to Mamata rather than CPI (M) because of her party’s ‘expected’ better results in the coming Lok Sabha Election. The move is surprising as the Left had recently organised a conclave of non-BJP and non-Congress parties in the name of fighting communalism.
Reddy’s meeting with Mamata comes at a time when she is urging regional parties to come together. Talking to the media persons soon after the meeting, Mamata said: ‘We are not for a Third Front, we are not for Secular Front. We are for a United India Front.’
The meeting was held at the new state administrative headquarters ‘Nabanna’ in Howrah district in West Bengal. Reddy has decided to meet Mamata for her support to build a national consensus against a separate Telangana state and to stall the bifurcation bill in Parliament. Mamata, who is fighting against the demand for a separate Gorkhaland, said, ‘I am happy to meet him and I would like to say that the public should have been consulted and other options should have been explored before taking such decision. We have made our stand very clear that we are always for united India and the people of this country.’
She said, ‘There will be local demands in other states but that can be solved by creating more districts and more development especially in the backward regions. But if there is unanimous demand considering the local people and parties then a state may be bifurcated. This is what happened in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. All parties supported it. But bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh for coming general election is not acceptable.’
On the context of discussion over Federal Front with Reddy, she said, ‘Many issues were discussed.’ Reddy said, ‘There is an urgent need is to stop the bifurcation bill when it is brought in parliament. I have requested Didi (Mamata) for her support and she was kind enough to extend her support.’
He added, ‘We have been demanding for an amendment to Article 3. It should have two-thirds majority supporting the bill to split the state. Otherwise no government in Delhi should be given the power to arbitrarily split a state at their whims and fancies.’
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