The Left-sponsored Third Front might not have a name or a prime ministerial candidate to boast of as of now,but the loose entity of non-Congress,non-BJP parties will soon have a vision document,broadly spelling out its plan of action if it gets a shot at power. The nine parties in it are working on preparing the vision document which will figure issues that are important to them and on which there is a broad consensus,sources said. Separately,the four Left parties will also issue a joint appeal to voters on March 24 outlining the relevance of the third alternative in the changed political situation. While the Third Front parties do not want to give the grouping a name or a formal structure like electing a convenor before the general election,they do feel a document spelling out the broad talking points was necessary to fend off criticism that it has no programme or mission. Recently,External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had rubbished the Third Front citing the same reason. Sources said it was agreed at the last meeting of the Third Front parties here that JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu would start working on the document. Sources in the Left said the parties will give their inputs after seeing the suggestions made by Gowda and Naidu. The need of the hour is a viable non-Congress,non-BJP alternative as it has become clear that people are disappointed with both these parties. The document we are working on would be a set of talking points of the third alternative which will be raised during the campaign, CPI national secretary D Raja told The Indian Express. While Naidu is keen on including the cash transfer scheme (CTS) that he recently announced in his party manifesto in the document,Gowda is working on issues faced by farmers. Besides,the document is likely to focus on education,employment creation,health,strengthening of public sectors units and land policies among others. On the other hand,the joint appeal that is being finalised by the Left parties would explain the circumstances in which it had extended support to the UPA coalition and the reasons for the subsequent break-up.
