Meet the 'First Front': Eleven parties paper over their differences to take on the Congress and BJP in the Battle of 2014

By Mail Today Bureau

Published: 18:23 EST, 25 February 2014 | Updated: 18:23 EST, 25 February 2014

As many as 11 Left and regional parties came together on a single platform in the Capital on Tuesday, vowing to counter the "communal agenda" of the BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi, while opposing the Congress.

Declaring the BJP and Modi are "a challenge to the very secular edifice of our state and society," CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said: "We will unitedly counter (this challenge) to make sure the BJP and allies do not come to power."

The Third Front's resolve was made known: "It is time to change and throw out the Congress from power. The BJP and communal forces must be defeated and prevented from coming to power."

Third Front leaders (in first row, from left) Nitish Kumar of JD(U), H.D. Deve Gowda of JD(S), Prakash Karat of CPI(M), Sharad Yadav of JD(U) and Mulayam Singh Yadav of SP in Delhi

The long shadow of recent history looms large over the grouping. The nation won't forget failure after failure of the non-Congress, non- BJP coalitions headed by Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral.

There was no word, however, on the group's prime ministerial candidate, and the contradictions inherent in such a diverse grouping were papered over in the show of unity, photo-ops included.

Among those who attended the meeting were the four Left parties-CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc-and the SP, JD(U), AIADMK, JVM, and JD(S). It came upon Karat to explain that AGP leader Prafulla Mahanta could not come as his mother was ill, and BJD leader and Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik was preoccupied in the state.

"Both are very much a part of the grouping," he said, adding that "more regional players would join us."

The meeting was also attended by H.D. Deve Gowda (JD-S), veteran CPI leader A.B. Bardhan, M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), T.G. Chandrachoodan (RSP), Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), K.C. Tyagi (JD-U), and S. Sudhakara Reddy (CPI).

From left: CPI leader A.B. Bardhan, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, JD(S) leader H.D. Deve Gowda, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav address a joint press conference following a meeting of Left and regional parties in the Capital

Common platform

"The BJP is no different than Congress, which has created a record of misrule and corruption" Karat said, "We need to present an alternative to Congress and BJP."

These parties had earlier shared a common platform against communalism in October last, and on February 5 presented themselves as a block in Parliament.

There are, however, limitations to an alternative non-Congress non-BJP front, as the DMK and AIA-DMK in Tamil Nadu, SP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh and TMC and CPI(M) in West Bengal simply cannot come together.

The TDP had attended the front meeting during Parliament's Winter Session, but it seems more inclined towards the BJP-led NDA. Together, these 11 parties have 92 MPs in the 543- member Lok Sabha.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav (right) talks with JD(U) president Sharad Yadav during the Third Front meeting in Delhi

Forecast

Some poll projections for the next Lok Sabha have said that the vote share of the other parties could be as high as 42 per cent, more than that of UPA or NDA. In effect, the contest for the next Lok Sabha has become a four-cornered one between the UPA, NDA, Third Front and the entry of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda shared the dais on Tuesday.

"The prime ministerial nominee will be decided after the polls," said Karat, and was echoed by Sharad Yadav and Mulayam Singh.

The Third Front's strategy for now is that its constituents maximise electoral gains in their respective areas so that the group can come together as a substantive block in the next Lok Sabha.

"There is no rationale of seat-sharing between the constituents but we will pool resources in the coming polls," Karat said.

Excited over the Third Front's prospects, Sharad Yadav termed it as the "First Front."

Presenting the front as an alternative to both the Congress and the BJP, a joint declaration said: "The country is going to the polls again to elect the 16th Lok Sabha. This is an occasion for the people of India to decide the future direction of the Republic."

Revelations

The document targeted both the NDA (1998-2004) and UPA I and II (2004-2014).

"Five-year rule of UPA II government has led to all-round problems and suffering for the people. Economic growth has slowed down," it said.

"The BJP, which claims to be an alternative, has no policies different from that of the Congress. Their record in the states on corruption and economic policies underline the fact they are twin of the Congress," said the declaration.

The Left parties had tried to forge a third front in 2009 called the United National Progressive Alliance but it failed to succeed. 

Lalu accuses Bihar CM of poaching MLAs

By Giridhar Jha in Patna

RJD president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of engineering a defection in his party with the help of Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary.

Backed by his supporters, Lalu walked nearly 2km on foot along with party MLAs and leaders to the Bihar Assembly.

Parading nine MLAs, Lalu handed over letters to lodge a protest against the Speaker's move recognising 13 rebel legislators as a separate group.

"My party is intact. Nine of the 13 MLAs, who have been categorised as rebels, are still with us. Nitish Kumar conspiracy to break RJD for the survival of his government has boomeranged," Lalu said.

Nitish has been caught in his own web while trying to strangle the democratic norms in a parliamentary democracy, the RJD chief claimed.

Accusing Choudhary of acting in undue haste, Lalu demanded that the notification recognising the rebel RJD legislators be withdrawn immediately.

Later, Lalu took a cycle-rickshaw ride to the Raj Bhavan where he submitted a memorandum to Governor D. Y .Patil.

"I pointed out to the Governor how the provisions of the Constitution had been violated by the Speaker, who acted like a puppet," he said.

The RJD supremo said the nine legislators had professed loyalty to the party while another MLA, Raghvendra Pratap Singh, had also expressed his support to him.

"My aim is to prevent Modi from becoming the PM. I will now travel across Bihar to reach out to the masses for ensuring the ouster of the Nitish government and preventing the BJP from forming the government at the Centre," he said.

Lalu asserted that he had no differences with Ram Vilas Paswan, saying he would talk to LJP president to firm up a secular alliance.

Meanwhile, the RJD served a show-cause notice to MLAs Samrat Choudhary, Javed Iqbal Ansari and Alktar- ul-Iman to explain their conduct.

RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said suitable action would be taken against them in a week.

Hassled Nitish opens arms for RJD MLAs

By Giridhar Jha and Agencies

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar

In dire need of numbers to run his government smoothly, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the JD(U) would welcome rebel RJD MLAs into its fold and rejected Lalu Prasad Yadav's allegations that the Speaker worked at his behest by hurriedly giving recognition to the breakaway faction.

The Bihar CM said there are differences in the Lalu Prasad-led RJD, and that the party is on the verge of a split.

"As far as JD(U)'s stand is concerned, if the people come to us, we will welcome them," he said.

Ever since he broke ranks with the BJP in June over the issue of projecting Narendra Modi as the PM candidate, Nitish has been running his government with a wafer-thin majority in the state Assembly.

At present, the JD(U) has 116 MLAs - six less than what is required for a simple majority in the 243-member House. However, his government enjoys the support of four Congress MLAs, one CPI legislator and four Independents. But Nitish cannot take their support for granted.

The Congress had extended support to the Nitish government sensing a potential ally in him. But their ties have worsened since.

The Congress is cobbling up a pre-poll alliance with Lalu. It is not certain whether the party will continue to support his government after the Lok Sabha elections.