Leaders of the Left parties, Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Janata Dal (S) will meet to take stock of the political situation and remove pinpricks in their alliance.
Third Front to meet soon to iron out pinpricks
NEW DELHI: Leaders of the Left parties, Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Janata Dal (S) will meet here on Saturday to take stock of the political situation and remove pinpricks in their alliance arising out of situations in different states.
The CPI(M) is worried about the developing political situation in Andhra Pradesh in the wake of reports that mega star Chiranjeevi, who has launched a new political party, had a telephonic tete-e-tete with senior BJP leader LK Advani. The CPI(M) has been in touch with Chiranjeevi for many months now and the cinestar was also inclined to tie up with the Left in the state. But his talk with Advani surprised them. Asked if Chiranjeevi has ditched the Left and embraced the saffron camp, CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said: “We have asked our state committee to send us a report.”
Sources said Advani invited Chiranjeevi to New Delhi for a meeting even as speculation is rife as to who took the initiative for the telephone talk. Both sides maintain the other took the initiative.
P Mitra, spokesperson of Chiranjeevi, on Wedesday issued a statement in Hyderabad saying “Advaniji personally telephoned Chiranjeevi to extend his good wishes. This was purely a courtesy call and no political issue was discussed.” BJP sources maintained the cinestar took the initiative and that general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu has been in touch with Chiranjeevi. Sources said Chiranjeevi is not comfortable with the CPI(M) trying to help Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, which along with the Congress, is his main target. In such a scenario, the CPI(M) will find it difficult to carry both along.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, his CPI counterpart AB Bardhan, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, JD(S) boss and former prime minister Deve Gowda and BSP chief Mayawati are expected to meet here to chalk out their future programme.
Karat, Gowda, Bardhan, CPI national secretary D Raja, JD(S) general secretary Danish Ali had a lunch meeting here on Thursday. Sources said the leaders discussed the political situation in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. Gowda, sources said, told the Left leaders that in Karnataka he would try to unite “all secular forces” to take on the “communal forces” meaning that he has no option but to take the Congress on board.
Meanwhile, a few hours after the meeting, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh called on Gowda and is understood to have impressed upon him to back the UPA to strengthen secular forces. Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh, who was also part of the Left-BSP-UNPA combine has since left the Third Front and is talking to both BJP and Congress.
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