Third Front will not let government pass bills amid din

Regional and Left political parties joined hands on Wednesday to evolve a strategy for the ongoing Parliament session in a move that can be viewed as an initial step towards cobbling up a Third Front alliance ahead of the 2014 general election.  

The 11 parties vowed to jointly raise issues in the Parliament, and not allow the government to pass crucial bills without discussion.  The parties said they will soon release a common agenda or a common minimum programme but didn’t set a time limit for the same.

“We will raise issues concerning the people in Parliament. We want proper discussion on anti-corruption bills,” said CPI (M) polit bureau member and Member of Parliament Sitaram Yechury. “The ruling party wants the bills to be passed in a din. We will not let the house be utilised to launch an election agenda by the government.”

The 11 parties are Janata Dal (United), Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (Secular), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Biju Janata Dal, Asom Gano Parishad, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and four Left parties — CPI, CPI (M), Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party.

When asked what will make the parties stick together,  CPI leader and MP Gurudas Dasgupta said: “This is just a beginning of a journey to fight bipartisan politics.”