Third Front parties to meet, but front’s revival not on cards
April 11th, 2010 - 9:16 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) The revival of the Third Front is not on the agenda, as the Left parties and non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposition leaders meet Monday to chalk out a strategy against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s policies, Left leaders said Sunday.
“Firstly, we want to build a platform of the Left parties and other secular forces to launch a joint fight against the anti-people policies of the UPA government,” said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader M.K. Pandhe.
“It is not the question of Third Front,” Pandhe told IANS when asked if the Left is planning to revive the front that was formed ahead of the general elections last year.
Besides the Left parties, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad, leaders of Telugu Desam Party, AIADMK, Biju Janata Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Indian National Lok Dal and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) will attend the meeting.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati will stay away as her arch rival Mulayam Singh is invited to the meeting.
Pandhe, however, said the CPI-M in its various forums had discussed the formation of the Third Front to take on the Congress-led ruling alliance.
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) general secretary T.J. Chandrachoodan said: “The main agenda of tomorrow’s (Monday) meeting is the agitation against price rise.”
He added that the strategy against India-US nuclear liability bill, both inside and outside parliament, will also be discussed. The Laft parties and the BJP are steadfastly against the bill in its present form.
Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader Danish Ali also said “as of now, there is no question of revival of the Third Front”.
He said party chief and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda will attend the meeting.
The Left leaders said the meeting would ensure all the opposition party MPs’ vote on cut motions on the Finance Bill, to be moved in parliament to roll back the customs and excise duties on petrol and diesel.
The second part of the budget session of parliament begins April 15.
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Tags: arch rival, bharatiya janata party, communist party of india, communist party of india marxist, deve gowda, finance bill, former prime minister, general elections, left parties, liability bill, Mayawati, mulayam singh, nuclear liability, opposition leaders, opposition party, party chief, progressive alliance, revolutionary socialist party, rsp, secular forces