The Hindu : National : BJP ridicules third front idea

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 25, 2005

National

National

BJP ridicules third front idea

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday ridiculed the Left parties' idea of forming a third front as an alternative to the Congress-led and the BJP-led formations.

Describing the idea as "wishful thinking" of the Left, the party vice-president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, told mediapersons that "the third front is neither feasible nor possible. Given the composition of the present Lok Sabha, there cannot be any front without the involvement of (either of) these two parties, the Congress or the BJP."

However, he hastened to add that his party would have no problem if any such front came up. "The moment the third front comes, this Government goes," he quipped.

Failed attempts

He recalled how the previous attempts of establishing such formations had failed. "There was the National Front (in 1988-91) but it became a notional front. Subsequently, the United Front (1996-98) came up but it turned out to be a divided front. Later, the People's Front (2001-02) was set up but finally, it was reduced to a front without people."

Noting that the talk of the third front had revealed that all was "not well" with the United Progressive Alliance, Mr. Naidu said "constituents and supporting parties of the UPA are pressuring the Government to concede their demands. Longevity of the UPA Government has become a subject of discussion everywhere, even before the completion of one year (in office)."

Responding to a query on the Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat's statement that his party would oppose the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, the BJP leader said, "we do not believe in the Communist parties." He recalled how the CPI and the CPI (M), which once "eloquently" articulated their opposition to the Patents Bill, had eventually ensured the passage of the Bill in Parliament. All their criticisms of the UPA Government were all for "public consumption."

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