Nitish, Left leaders meet to give shape to 'Third Force'

Discuss formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP formation for the next Lok Sabha polls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the Left leadership today had a breakfast meeting with other leaders to discuss the formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP formation for the next Lok Sabha polls.

The informal meeting took place at the residence of JD (S) chief and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda in which it was decided that leaders of 11 non-Congress non-BJP parties, who recently came together in Parliament, will hold a formal meeting after the extended winter session is over to give concrete shape to the "Third Force".

The breakfast meeting was attended by CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat, CPI veteran A B Bardhan and Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas. Sources said that one or two common public rallies to give the message of unity of a non-Congress, non-BJP force in the next general elections may be held but the plans will concretise only after the meeting of leaders of the 11 parties after the session.

"It was an informal meeting. Since the Bihar Chief Minister was in the national capital, the leaders decided to meet over breakfast. It was decided to evolve a strategy to forge a non-Congress, non-BJP formation ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls.

"It was agreed that leaders of 11 such parties, who had come together on February 5 to forge a common strategy in Parliament, will hold a meeting in Delhi and decide the future course of action," JD (S) Secretary General Danish Ali, who attended the meeting, told the news agency.

In indications of emergence of a Third Front in view of the Lok Sabha elections, 11 non-Congress, non-BJP parties had on February 5 formally joined hands as a block in Parliament to pitch for pro-people, anti-communal and federal agenda.

 

The announcement was made at a joint press conference of leaders of these parties including the four Left parties, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), AIADMK, AGP, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, JD(S) and BJD, which was then described as the "first step" after the parties came together on October 30 last year for a convention against communalism attended by 17 parties. 

JD (U), which walked out of NDA snapping its 17-year-old ties with BJP, hopes to play significant role in the formation of such a front, given the fact that the erstwhile Janta Dal had always been an axis force, whenever such a Third Force was formed in the country.

 

There have been indications from the party that SP, JD (U) and JD (S) will be inching closer as the polls come closer.