Third Front possible only after including Laloo: Mulayam

PATNA, JAN 22: Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) president and Samajwadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav, today said the Third Front wi...

PATNA, JAN 22: Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) president and Samajwadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav, today said the Third Front will remain “mere wishful thinking” as long as Laloo Prasad Yadav’s RJD is not included.

“Laloo Yadav is a formidable force. The Third Front will be strong and vibrant only when RJD is a part of it,” he said, adding he had already begun “fruitful negotiations” on the issue with the Left parties at the national level.

The Left parties had ventilated some reservations on an alliance with RJD in the context of Bihar and such differences at the state-level will be settled by Laloo Prasad Yadav, he told newsmen at Patna Airport.

He did not attach much significance to the former prime minister’s, V P Singh’s, reported statement that the Third Front would be effective and strong only when the Congress forms government at the Centre.

“V P Singh aise hi bolte rahte hain (he keeps saying such things),” he said, adding the issue of supporting a Congress governmentwill be discussed in the party fora at an appropriate time”. Janata Dal national president Sharad Yadav, who is also in the city, said the plan for a third alternative was a “far cry” in the absence of “common and concrete programmes and policies”.

The RLM chief said a crucial meeting of the Morcha’s constituents would be held in New Delhi on February 1 “to decide on the strategy to fight the communal and fascist forces”. Referring to former prime minister H D Deve Gowda’s statement that Janata Dal would support the Congress if it formed government at the Centre, he said “we have not yet held discussions for inclusion of Dal in the Third Front”.

Sharad Yadav suggested a debate by the United Front constituents to ascertain reasons for its disintegration despite having a common agenda and said effective steps are being taken to strengthen JD at the national level.

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He criticised Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s proposal for a national debate on conversions saying the Constitution itselfprovides for change of religion. “The PM’s statement is aimed at diverting the people’s attention from real issues,” he said.

Yadav also took serious exception to Defence Minister George Fernandes’ allegations of “an international conspiracy” in recent attacks on Christians and their places of worship. “Entire country knows who are involved in such heinous attacks,” he said. JD, he said, would organise a rally here on February 17 to highlight the misrule of “Laloo-Rabri governments”.