Leaders of Third Front, BSP to meet on May 18

With reports of cracks in the Third Front, leaders of the non-Congress, non-BJP parties, including BSP, will meet here on May 18 to discuss the possibility of forming an alternative secular government.  

TRS, which switched to the NDA side three days ago, has not been called for the meeting, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said today.  

"Leaders of non-Congress, non-BJP will meet here on May 18 to decide the future course of action. BSP will join these discussions where we will explore the possibilities of forming an alternative secular government," he told reporters here.  

Karat said the Left parties will meet in New Delhi on May 17 which will be followed by the CPI(M)'s Politburo meeting on May 18 and Central Committee the following day. 

"This will be the first round of meeting among the parties," he said.  Asked whether TRS has been invited to the meeting, Karat said: "TRS is not in this. He (K Chandrasekhar Rao) has obviously found some other place."  

On reports about BJP sending feelers to TDP, Karat said he was in touch with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on a "daily" basis. "In fact, It was he (Naidu) who asked me to make this announcement," he said.