Congress today derided efforts to forge a Third Front by leaders like Naveen Patnaik at a time when the Lok Sabha polls are not far away.
"Some parties, as part of their politics, are taking out things from their bag.... We will see it later", was the response of party spokesman Raj Babbar.
He was asked as to how the Congress looks at attempts by leaders like the BJD chief to forge a Third Front which is also referred to as the Federal Front by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.
Patnaik is calling for maintaining equidistance from both the Cong-led UPA and BJP-led NDA. His party is a close ally of the AIADMK led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has also talked of formation of a Third Front.
Congress and BJP often insist that the idea of formation of a "Third Front" is a non-starter.
Both Congress and BJP generally dismiss Third Front as the "most enduring mirage of Indian politics" and insist that it holds no relevance today.
The refrain of the two major national parties has always been that the Third Front is a history in Indian politics. It was never a success in the past. It has no promise for the future.
