Regional parties and some of their chiefs, including Mulayam Singh, Nitish Kumar and Left leaders, on Wednesday congregated at Delhi’s Talkatora stadium on an anti-communalism platform, to pitch for the formation of a post-2014 third front.
Significantly, in the convention on “people’s unity against communalism”, participation of NCP, AIADMK and BJD gave a boost to the possible coordination towards a third front.
Notwithstanding denials of leaders participating in the convention, there was a clear sense of expectation among them that this could become a platform against the BJP and Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. The 2009 experience also seemed to be in the minds of these leaders not to rush to talk of a third front at this stage.
Though all participating leaders of 17 political parties vowed to fight against communal forces, they underlined the need for the secular and democratic forces to unitedly counter the communal forces of all varieties and maintain people’s unity.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said questions were being asked whether the convention meant formation of a new front.
“As of today, this is not the case. A new front at this moment is neither possible nor valid. But we will have to think that in the face of communalism, terrorism and fascism, democratic forces should maintain maximum possible unity on issues to combat and defeat such powers,” Nitish Kumar said.
AIADMK representative and MP Thambi Durai, reading out a speech of AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa as she could not attend the meet, said, “The idea of secularism is part of Indian culture.”
Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav pointed out that Muzaffarnagar riots were fomented by communal forces. “At least we got together now. If we unite, communal forces will not be able to raise their heads,” he said.