Mulayam eyes second Third Front

The battle between the two Yadavs — RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and UP Chief Minister and SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav — has rev...

The battle between the two Yadavs — RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and UP Chief Minister and SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav — has revealed the contours of the two power centres which have emerged for a non-NDA ‘secular’ government in the event of a hung Parliament. In the latest round of one-upmanship between the two camps, it was Mulayam’s turn today to assert his authority and influence in the power game.

In a statement, Mulayam said if, after the elections, ‘‘smaller, secular parties are in a better position’’, he would discuss with their leaders about the formation of a Third Front. While he said he was not in the race for leader of the Front nor for the PM’s post, he asserted yet again that the Third Front would be in place after the polls.

If Mulayam is desperate to get as many allies as he can on his side and is feeling increasing isolated, he has reason to feel so. Laloo has become the mouthpiece of the Congress coalition which has stitched up some formidable alliances in crucial states, which does not include the SP chief. The Congress, which should emerge as the single largest party on the non-NDA side, has alliances with Sharad Pawar’s NCP in Maharashtra; a rainbow coalition with the DMK and parties like the PMK, MDMK in Tamil Nadu; Laloo’s RJD and Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP in Bihar; the influential TRS in Andhra Pradesh; the JMM in Jharkhand.

Story continues below this ad

So, which ‘‘smaller, secular’’ parties is Mulayam looking to? Apart from the pre-poll alliance he already has with Ajit Singh’s RLD, the parties which are still non-committed include Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD in Haryana; Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference in J-K; Deve Gowda’s JD(S) in Karnataka; Chandrashekhar’s SJP in UP; and Vijay Mallya’s Janata Party in Karnataka. And fact is he will have to work overtime to win them over.

However, the heavyweight which could decisively tilt the balance favourably in any camp is the Left Front. Says a source, ‘‘Mulayam is banking on his friendship with Surjeet to support his group rather than the Congress-led front. For he sees his role as king-maker, and even king, diminishing rapidly in the face of the Congress-led front. After all, Laloo and Paswan have already declared they will support Sonia Gandhi as PM. It remains to be seen how Mulayam will face up to the challenge after the polls.’’

In Meghalaya, a hunt for something hard to miss: Mountains of coal

Environment Ministry exempts critical and atomic mineral mining from public consultation

India45 min ago

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will now exempt mining proposals of atomic, critical, and strategic minerals from the ambit of public consultations in view of “national defence and security requirements and strategic considerations”, it said in a new office memorandum (OM).

View all shorts

Live Blog