PATNA: The third front, led by the Samajwadi Party (SP), is likely to change the political scenario in some constituencies with many political heavyweights flocking to it after being denied tickets by their parties.
SP, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Jan Adhikar Party, Samras Samaj Party, Nationalist Peoples Party and Samajwadi Janata Party (Democratic) have joined hands to field their candidates against the NDA and the ‘grand alliance’, comprising JD(U), RJD and Congress.
While launching the confederation of six parties, Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav said, “The third front is contesting from all 243 Assembly seats. It will provide a viable political alternative.”
The front has proposed the name of NCP leader Tariq Anwar as its CM candidate. The six parties were never considered serious players in Bihar, and together they could not even fetch five per cent votes in the last elections.
The third front can harm prospects of a candidate who is in a neck and neck fight. In the last polls, more than two dozen candidates won by a margin of less than 10,000 votes and some won by a margin of under 5,000 votes.
“Most of the rebel candidates are from JD(U) as the party offloaded more than 30 seats and some RJD leaders who were runners-up in the last polls. Their natural choice is SP or NCP as they were part of the grand alliance till a few days ago,” said Shivanand Tiwary, a former Rajya Sabha member.