Mulayam, Naidu plan to revive Third Front

Efforts to form a "national alternative" or a non-Congress, non-BJP third front were stepped up today with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav saying they were in talks with several parties on the issue.

Both attacked the Congress over what they termed as "communal" and anti-poor policies of the UPA government.

"We supported the Congress only because we wanted to put an end to the communal politics of the BJP. But the Iran vote and the Indo-US nuclear deal have convinced us that only the third front can really provide a secular polity," said the UP chief minister.

When asked as to why his Samajwadi Party was continuing its support to the UPA government, he said after listening to LK Advani's statement that on economic and policy matters both the Congress and the BJP were alike, he might "think of withdrawing support to the government."

Naidu said as of now the front was supporting the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam, the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, and the National Conference in Kashmir.

"We are planning a long-term strategy to set up a truly national alternative to the Congress and the BJP, both of whom suppress the real aspirations of the people," he said.

"We will begin by simple floor co-ordination in Parliament and later to policy issue," he said. None of the UPA partners had yet agreed to join them, he added.

When asked as to whether his own pro-reform image will hurt the chances of the Left coming over on their side, Naidu said he was in favour of economic reforms even today but not at the cost of the poor.

"I agree with the Left over several of their demands," said a changed Naidu. "Reforms are good only if the rewards are distributed amongst all, under the UPA this is not what is happening," he said.

The Samajwadi Party will also be putting up a candidate in Rae Bareli against Sonia Gandhi for the May 10 by-election. "The decision about the candidate will be announced in two or three days," he said.