Maintaining that neither the Congress nor the BJP will get a majority in the next Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday ruled out the possibility of the formation of a third front before the polls.
“Third front is always formed after the elections; it cannot be set up before the polls. It is also a fact that neither the Congress nor the BJP will get majority and the larger political parties which form the third front will have the majority,” Mr. Yadav told journalists. He was responding to a question on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s call for a non-Congress, non- BJP “federal front.”
“Our relations with Mamataji have always been cordial. However, we did not have any political discussions so far,” Mr Yadav said.
“With Akhilesh [Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister] her relationship is better, with me she gets angry at times,” said the SP leader, who was here to attend a private event. In another development, SP leader Sanjay Dalmiya met CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and central committee member Gautam Deb.
“We consider Mulayam Singh Yadav an important ally in our struggle in the years to come,” Mr. Deb said emerging from the meeting.
Referring to the national political convention of four Left parties, where they are expected to come out with an alternative policy document, he said discussions would be held with Mr. Yadav on the charter that would emerge from the meeting to be held in New Delhi on Monday.
“A section of the country’s intelligentsia is also expected to attend the convention. It is very critical and future discussions with other political parties, including Mulayam Singh Yadav’s party, will be held on the basis of what emerges from the convention.”
