Third front not likely to emerge before election

The coming together of 11 parties as a separate block in Parliament may be nothing more than joint strategising on the floor of the House. Though there are talks of alliances, the block is very unlikely to take the shape of a pre-poll electoral understanding.

These parties seem more interested in giving the message that discussions are on for an anti-Congress, anti-BJP platform, and that a ‘third front’ may emerge post election.

The CPI(M), which is taking the initiative to create this block, has made it clear there will not be any announcements on the proposed joint programme.

“We will have electoral understandings with some regional parties in certain States. But this will not be based on any common programmes,” CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told Business Line .

Karat, however, said the Left parties will come up with a set of alternative policies for the country. Both the Congress and the BJP are following the same set of policies and people are dejected, he added.

Alternative group Karat further said the Left parties’ attempt is to gather non-Congress, non-BJP secular parties together.

Fourteen parties attended a convention against communal forces and this will send a message to the people that there are options beyond UPA and NDA, he added. “There will be overall coordination and understanding with these parties without framing a front as such,” he said.

The CPI and the CPI(M) have announced electoral pacts with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Karat said talks are also on in Bihar and Odisha for State-specific tie-ups with the JD(U) and the BJD.

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