DEHRA DUN: Chances of formation of a Third Front before the February 21 Assembly elections in Uttarakhand seems to have diminished as majority of parties like BSP, CPI-M, NCP and Samajwadi Party have decided to contest the polls on their own.

The BSP, which has seven MLAs in the outgoing Assembly, has announced that it would contest in all 70 seats.

Similarly, NCP too declared that it would contest 40 seats in the state breaking a fragile alliance with Congress.

Earlier, NCP had entered into a tie-up with Congress under which the latter had left two seats for the former.

Similarly, CPI-M and SP are also contesting elections in the State independently.

There had been attempts from parties like NCP and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), a key regional party, to forge a broader front in the State.

``We tried our best but there was no favourable response to our attempt,'' NCP's state president Surya Kant Dhasmana said.

Cracks

Significantly, even cracks have appeared in the Left front as CPI-M and CPI are all set to contest the polls on their own

The UKD said on Sunday said it has entered into a new alliance with ``friends'' of the hill state.

UKD has given three seats to CPI - Nandprayag, Kedarnath and Gangotri - but has decided to contest 62 seats on its own, party spokesman Shivanand Chamoli said.

UKD has strength of four members in the outgoing Assembly.

Chamoli said UKD has also given two seats - Ramnagar and Almora - to Uttarakhand Lokvahini, another regional party. UKD is holding talks with other parties also to forge alliance in the state. ``We are calling our new alliance as friends of Uttarakhand,'' said Chamoli. - PTI

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