Akhilesh calls for third front

Chennai, April 22 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Monday called for a third front at the national level as the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have both failed in their promises.

"Samajwadi Party believes that there should be a third front at the national level. The policies of Congress and BJP are not pro-poor," he told reporters here, claiming that both the parties and their allies have failed to fulfill their promises and there is a bright opportunity for an alternative political grouping.

He said some parties have urged the Samajwadi Party chief and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav to lead the nation and for that, the support should start from the south.

Akilesh Yadav was here to attend an event organised by PMK party.

According to him, the leader of the nation will be a person selected by backward classes, farmers and downtrodden and only a person who can understand the pains of poor can become the prime minister.

Contending that many parties do not give opportunity to the youth for reasons not known, he asserted that the Samajwadi Party came to power in Uttar Pradesh due to the backing of the youth.

He said his government has delivered during the first year of its rule though the state is big and its problems also are big.

Asked if he would discuss about the third front with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, he said this cannot be told to the media before the meeting.

Later, he met Jayalalithaa at the state secretariat, terming it a courtesy call.

Jayalalithaa has categorically said that AIADMK would not align with Congress and BJP as they have sided with Karnataka on the Cauvery river water dispute.