KCR, Mamata, Kejriwal may float third front
SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, political parties are forging alliances at the national level to take on the BJP. All political parties who want to defeat the BJP are preparing to join hands with the Congress.
The Congress also has decided to start talks with regional parties in a bid to forge alliances. But three Chief Ministers are not ready to join hands with the Congress.
BRS President Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Trinamool Congress President West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Aam Aadmi Party President Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are not willing to team up with the Congress.
In these three states, that is, in West Bengal, Delhi and Telangana the BJP is on a strong wicket. In Telangana, the BJP expects to win more seats than in the last Lok Sabha elections. Delhi has seven, West Bengal has 42 and Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha seats. There is no chance of any of these parties winning all 66 seats.
In the last Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, all seven seats were won by the BJP. In West Bengal out of the 42 seats, Trinamool Congress won 22 and the BJP won 18 seats. In Telangana, out of 17 seats the BRS won nine seats, the BJP three and the Congress four seats.
In all these three states the Congress has a strong cadre network and local leadership. If KCR, Mamata and Arvind Kejriwal start a third front against the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led UPA it may help the BJP as pointed out by AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.
He said that if a third front is formed it will only help the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections. Interestingly, the Congress is saying that the Trinamool Congress and the BRS are indirectly helping the BJP in Telangana and in West Bengal.
It seems that the Congress is playing a mind game with these parties to bring them into its fold. In recent times, Telangana CM KCR and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal are maintaining good relations. But KCR and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have not met in recent days.
There were speculations that Mamata also may join hands with the Congress to defeat the BJP. But three days ago former AICC president Rahul Gandhi criticised Mamata Banerjee in poll-bound Meghalaya at a media conference and said that her Trinamool Congress is indirectly supporting the BJP.
This may widen the gap between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress and may force Mamata to join hands with KCR and Arvind Kejriwal to form a third front.
