A day before the second phase polls in Bihar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday declared to part ways with the “Third Front” protesting the Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh’s “pro-BJP” statements. Earlier, six parties had got together to form the Front to take on both the BJP-led NDA and Nitish-Lalu-led grand alliance in Bihar.
“While campaigning for his party’s candidate in Rohtas and Aurangabad what SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had said was “unfortunate and sad”. Our party has decided to come out of the Third Front,” declared NCP leader Tariq Anwar while addressing journalists here.
The SP chief had said that there was “wave in favour of the BJP and the NDA will form the government in Bihar.” “The SP chief's statement will directly or indirectly help the BJP in the poll and it betrays the basic tenets for which the Third Front was formed,” said Mr. Anwar, NCP leader and party MP from Katihar.
Earlier, Mr. Anwar had been in the forefront of the formation of the Third Front to “uphold secularism and oppose both the political blocks in the Bihar poll.” Along with the NCP, the other parties who came forward to join the Front were, the Samajwadi Party, the Janadhikar Party of Pappu Yadav, the Samajwadi Janata Party of former Union Minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, the National People’s Party of former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma and the Samras Samaj Party of former Union Minister Nagmani.
The NCP which was part of the Grand Secular Alliance of the JD(U), the RJD and the Congress had come out of their block when it was allocated just three seats out of total 243 to contest.
Meanwhile, NCP sources told The Hindu that the party would contest on 42 seats, mainly in Seemanchal (border) districts.
