Naidu certain about Third Front's success

Says he was already in touch with all the important leaders, including West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president, N Chandrababu Naidu, on Thursday said the idea of forming a Federal Front as an alternative to the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre would become a reality either before or immediately after the 2014 elections.

“It is only a matter of time in the sense that the front, by whatever name you may call it, will emerge as a result of either pre-poll or a post-poll alliance,” Naidu said, while hinting at an active role for himself in making it a reality.

Naidu said he was already in touch with all the important leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on this matter. “Whenever it is formed, you get to know that we also had a role in its formation,” he said, replying to a query.

Naidu said the emergence of an alternative political front at the Centre is imminent for the simple reason that while the UPA is fast loosing its credibility in the eyes of the people due to corruption,the NDA led by the Bharatiya Janata Party is not gaining either.

Out of power for a second consecutive term alliance at the Centre since the 2004 elections, Naidu is seeing an opportunity in the ongoing efforts initiated by the non-Congress and non-BJP chief ministers to revive his role in national politics.

Naidu once played a key role in the United Front government and also lent outside support to the NDA government. In the subsequent change of political equations at the Centre however, Naidu remained on the sidelines as his party's strength in the Lok Sabha had come down to 5 out of 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh.