With the BSP keen to project her as the newly-formed Third Front's prime ministerial candidate, party supremo Mayawati has invited leaders of the front's constituents to a dinner meeting on March 15 in New Delhi.
The Third Front will be a major force in the next Lok Sabha polls, says Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Niloptal Basu.
Thackeray announced "complete support" to Rao's "fight" against the Bharatiya Janata Party's alleged anti-people policies and to uphold federal spirit, it said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat on Friday said the Left parties were making efforts to form a Third Front as an alternative to both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party although he did not spell out a time frame.
Expressing confidence that the United Progressive Alliance will retain power after the Lok Sabha elections, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said he was not averse to the idea of cobbling together a government with the Third Front should the Centre's ruling alliance fall short of a majority.
"With Congress clearly failing to stop BJP in these two states, now a demand for third front has again gained ground in the country," he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh at the end of the three-day long Chintan Baithak blamed the Third Front for playing spoil sport and dividing the vote bank of the opposition parties, thereby helping the Congress to win the elections.
Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday predicted the rise of the third front to power in the post 2014 Lok Sabha poll scenario.
Ahead of the 2009 general elections in India, the United States was worried about a possible Third Front coming to power with the Left parties playing a major role in it.
Kalam likely to refuse the front's offer; BJP hopes this may swing some front votes its way.
It may be recalled that at the time of the last Presidential elections in 2002, Naidu had worked for evolving a consensus on the candidature of Dr A P J Abdul Kalam while the Left parties had fielded Mrs Lakshmi Sahgal.
Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu is keeping everyone guessing about whether he plans to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance for the forthcoming Parliamentary polls.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav refused to offer any comment when asked what was his perception about the UNPA's meetings with the leaders of various political parties.
Former prime minister and Janata Dal-Secular supremo Deve Gowda on Monday announced the formation of the Third Front, an amalgamation of eight parties including the Left, and touted as a political alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Confusion is rampant within the Congress on what would be its role post May 16 when the results of the General Elections are announced, and whether or not the Congress should support any non-National Democratic Alliance or Third Front formation or even be a part of such an exercise. Renu Mittal reports
Narendra Modi on Tuesday tore into Naveen Patnaik government over lack of development in Odisha and mocked the fledgling Third Front, of which Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal is a member, saying its only job is to "save" Congress.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister designate Akhilesh Yadav on Monday termed the probable rise of a third front in Parliament to be a healthy development.
Pushing efforts to firm up a Third Front, top leaders of the Janata Dal-United, Left and the Janta Dal-Secular met in New Delhi on Monday and decided to convene a meeting of 11 parties after the end of the current Parliament session to give concrete shape to a non-Congress and non-BJP alternative.
Hinting at the possible post-poll strategy of his party, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday said the chances of Narendra Modi becoming the prime minister were slim, and the Congress could form the next government by joining hands with "the Third Front".
There is more than sufficient space for this amongst the electorate in India that will respond definitively and favourably to a credible alternative. Nitish Kumar has an excellent chance of capturing this space through the inclusive politics of third front formations, says Seema Mustafa.
Union minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said in Hyderabad that he was not in favour of his party extending support to the third front from outside, rather he wanted the party to be a part of the government.
Stating that the Third Front has no policy or commitment, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday termed the 'alternative' combination of parties as a "parking slot."
The situation today is far more conducive for a third front than it was in 1996, says TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu. Mohammed Siddique reports
For the third front to become a reality, it needs a party that has a pan-India presence and wins more Lok Sabha seats than all other parties in the front, say experts.
Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu has said a "Third Front" would form the next government at the Centre and his party would play a decisive role in that.
0After committing support to the United Progressive Alliance, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday ruled out his involvement in formation of third front before the next Lok Sabha polls even though he had an intriguing meeting with Sukhbir Badal, President of national Democractic Alliance's key constituent Akali Dal.
Declaring that the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Third Front would be decided after the elections, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati hosted a dinner for the leaders of the grouping and resolved to defeat the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Deomocratic Alliance.
A day after pledging support to the United Progressive Alliance, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday met Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Janata Dal - Secular chief H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday said the final shape of the Third Front would be known only after the Lok Sabha elections."The first part of the alliance is ready. The second part would be decided only after the election results are announced," Gowda said. He added that "all secular parties will rise to find a solution on forming the government at the Centre".
Union Minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday said the Congress could consider extending support to the Third Front or taking its help, if necessary to form the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls.
With the aim of opposing the India-United States nuclear agreement, the Communist Party of India - Marxist is trying to form a third front without the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, senior party leader Sitaram Yechuri said on Sunday. Addressing a public meeting, Yechuri also requested other parties to join this front.
Exuding confidence that the Third Front will form the next government at the Centre, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday said his party would set no preconditions to join it and help form the alliance in national interest.
Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat on Sunday said there was possibility of an alliance minus the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, along with Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, had a fifteen minute meeting with Karat at the CPI-M headquarters on Thursday morning.
It is not clear if they discussed the Presidential polls.
A senior Aam Aadmi Party leader on Sunday said they may extend issue based support to a Third Front government but the party swiftly distanced itself saying there was "no question" of it backing "any front".
Rating agency Moody's on Tuesday cautioned that a third front government created by regional parties could lead to capital flight and delay economic recovery.
Notwithstanding reluctance of some leaders of regional parties to make it public, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is strongly in favour of a Third Front to prevent communal forces from coming to power after the Lok Sabha elections
CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury was in Chennai on Saturday and AIADMK sources said Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa could be sounded as convenor for the proposed Third Front. Aditi Phadnis reports
Mulayam Singh's bid to get a third front on his side is to get into a position where he can barter for the prime minister's job with the support of either the BJP or the Congress, says Seema Mustafa.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances