BELGAUM: Any possible "third front" should have an independent economic agenda that strengthens the Indian economy, the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, has said.

He was responding to a question on whether he saw a fresh opportunity to forge a third front in the light of the political developments within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) arising out of BJP President L.K. Advani's remarks on Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

He was talking to presspersons here on Monday before beginning a survey of the flood-affected villages in north Karnataka.

Reforms

The Congress government, led by the former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, introduced liberalisation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was then his (Rao's) Finance Minister. The BJP-led NDA government under A.B. Vajpayee, which initially opposed the reforms, gave a push to the policies. Because of this there had been an adverse impact on the country.

Therefore, any third front should have an independent economic policy.

Mr. Deve Gowda said he would meet the Prime Minister and apprise him of the problems being faced by the flood-affected people.

He would also raise the issue in the Lok Sabha.

Replying to questions, he said the State Government had already sought a "tsunami" type package for the State in the light of the severity of the devastation.

Mr. Deve Gowda said he would request the Centre to activate the Natural Disaster Management Authority, which he claimed to have proposed when Mr. Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.

The authority had met only once in the past six years.

The former Prime Minister said he would urge the Centre to waive the loans of flood-affected farmers.

JD(S) developments

The former Prime Minister was not aggressive in his answers to questions on the political developments resulting out of the removal of Siddaramaiah, H.C. Mahadevappa and Satish Jarkiholi from the Ministry.

"There is no permanent friend or foe in politics," he said. To a question whether he would patch up with Mr. Siddaramaiah or take action against dissidents in the wake of the party authorising him to come down on anti-party activities, Mr. Deve Gowda said the authorisation was for reorganising and strengthening the party in the State.

To a remark allegedly made by the former Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, that he (Mr. Deve Gowda) was an "insecure" politician, the former Prime Minister said he would reply to that at an appropriate time.

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