Deve Gowda rules out third front

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JAN. 6. The case against a third political front in Tamil Nadu for the coming Assembly elections was further strengthened today with the Janata Dal (Secular) backing the views of both the CPI and the CPI(M) on the prime need to consolidate the secular forces to defeat the DMK-BJP combine. The Janata Dal (S) president and former Prime Minister, Mr. Deve Gowda, who had separate meetings with the AIADMK General Secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha, and the TMC president, Mr. G.K. Moopanar, this evening, ruled out the viability of a third front in the State.

Despite the Janata Dal's basic strategy and objective to fight both the BJP and the Congress(I) in other States, Mr. Gowda said the Tamil Nadu situation was different as the DMK-BJP were already in alliance and also `sharing power' (at the Centre). This had necessitated all the secular forces to fight together, he said.

After a 15-minute meeting with the former Prime Minister, Mr. Moopanar said Mr. Gowda had suggested that the secular parties in the State ``sit together and hold talks soon'' in view of the coming Assembly elections. To Mr. Gowda's suggestion, Mr. Moopanar's response was ``After Pongal, the discussions will begin. Thai pirandhal vazhi pirakkum'' (The dawn of the Tamil month of Thai will pave the way). Addressing a press conference, Mr. Gowda said the JD(S)'s state-level office-bearers and district secretaries meeting here yesterday had passed a resolution authorising the State president, Mr. G. A. Vadivelu, to discuss with the AIADMK and the TMC leadership on seat-sharing and other issues.

Mr. Gowda said the JD(S) was not in a position to form a third front in Tamil Nadu. ``At the same time, we will not compromise with the fundamentalist, communal forces'', irrespective of the party's poll performance, he emphasised.

Stating that the JD(S) would cooperate with the AIADMK-led secular front, Mr. Gowda said Ms. Jayalalitha's ``categorical declaration'' at a public meeting in Chennai last September to mark Periyar's birthday that she would not rest until the fundamentalist forces were ousted from power, was compelling enough to reject another `separate front' in Tamil Nadu.

That was also a clear signal on Ms. Jayalalitha leading the secular front in the State, Mr. Gowda said, adding his party was not interested in power-sharing if their front was voted to power. This time, he would, however, campaign for the elections.

Speaking on national issues, Mr. Gowda charged the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, with diverting the people's attention from hard, economic issues by raising emotional issues such as Ayodhya.

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Section  : Southern States
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