Cong sees no threat to alliance from Third Front

Congress today downplayed the contention that attempts by regional parties and the Left to cobble together a Third Front will seal the prospects of a Congress-led secular alliance saying "possibilities change in politics with the passage of time".
Party spokesperson Randip Surjewala said, "Politics is an expression of possibilities and the possibilities change with the passage of time. Let us wait for a while."
His remarks came on a day when 11 non-Congress and non-BJP parties formally joined hands as a block in Parliament to pitch for pro-people, anti-communal and federal agenda.
The announcement of the front 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.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and JD(U) President Sharad Yadav said this was the "first step" after the parties came together in October last for an anti-communal convention here.
There is a thinking in the Congress that the coming together of secular parties will ultimately halt the march of BJP.
Even when 17 parties had come together to attend the convention against communalism, Congress had downplayed the issue of ally NCP taking part in it hoping that their coming together would help counter Narendra Modi and sharpen the political discourse on the secular-communal divide.
There is a view in the party that, with so many parties flagging the same concern against communalism, people will realise Congress is not the only party attacking Modi and that Congress' concern about Modi is not without any substance.