Chennai: The Third Front which can road-block Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial ambition, is becoming a reality, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, agreeing to join hands with Left parties, CPM and CPI, for the Lok Sabha polls.
Eleven parties, including AIADMK and the Left, will meet in the capital on Feb 5. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (JDU) has taken the initiative for a regrouping of a non-Congress, non-BJP Third Front.
The immediate purpose is floor coordination to ensure that the government does not pass important legislation, except the vote on account in this last session of Parliament.
JDU and Samajwadi Party want non-financial Bills to be passed by the new government after the elections.
Among regional parties that will attend the Wednesday meeting are Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal, H D Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular), Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and the Asom Gana Parishad.
The regional parties that will not attend are Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, M Karunanidhi’s DMK, Mayawati’s BSP, and the Telugu Desam Party led by Chandrababu Naidu – all because of their regional rivals, and Naidu because he is cosying with BJP.
Last week Mamata called for a similar effort, pitching for what she called a Federal Front to challenge national parties.