Mulayam Singh Yadav, who heads the SP, has in the past hinted at the possibility of bringing together non-Congress and non-BJP parties to provide a political alternative for government formation at the Centre.
New Delhi:
Nitish Kumar has said it is too early to talk about political alliances for 2014. But he is in Delhi today and will share the stage with Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and others at a convention against communalism organised by the Left, fuelling speculation about a possible re-grouping of a Third Front.
Recently divorced from the BJP, Mr Kumar's party the Janata Dal United, the Samajwadi Party, the Biju Janata Dal, the Asom Gana Parishad and Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular).
Mulayam Singh Yadav, who heads the Samajwadi Party, has in the past hinted at the possibility of bringing together non-Congress and non-BJP parties to provide a political alternative for government formation at the Centre. But his lieutenant and brother Ram Gopal Yadav was as circumspect as Mr Kumar on the eve of the convention.
"This is only on the issue of communalism and should not been seen as any front or an alternative," Ram Gopal Yadav said.
The Left says it has called the meeting in view of the riots in Uttar Pradesh last month, which saw political polarisation. "These riot-like situations may increase as elections near...we need to appeal for peace and calm," said Sitaram Yechury of the CPM.
Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party, seen as close to the Left is not attending. . "We contacted him and he said he will get back to us, but he has not got back so far," Mr Yechury said.
Mr Naidu recently said, after meeting BJP president Rajnath Singh, "I am not ruling out anything." He also emphasised that he sees his rival in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress, as the bigger problem.
Parties like the Left and Samajwadi Party accuse the BJP of "divisive or communal politics."
Nitish Kumar, who ended a 17-year alliance with the BJP in June this year, now concurs. At a party meet yesterday he a launched a ferocious attack on Mr Modi and the BJP, but also denied that he was getting closer to the Congress, saying, "We will take appropriate decision at the right time."
Recently divorced from the BJP, Mr Kumar's party the Janata Dal United, the Samajwadi Party, the Biju Janata Dal, the Asom Gana Parishad and Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular).
Mulayam Singh Yadav, who heads the Samajwadi Party, has in the past hinted at the possibility of bringing together non-Congress and non-BJP parties to provide a political alternative for government formation at the Centre. But his lieutenant and brother Ram Gopal Yadav was as circumspect as Mr Kumar on the eve of the convention.
"This is only on the issue of communalism and should not been seen as any front or an alternative," Ram Gopal Yadav said.
The Left says it has called the meeting in view of the riots in Uttar Pradesh last month, which saw political polarisation. "These riot-like situations may increase as elections near...we need to appeal for peace and calm," said Sitaram Yechury of the CPM.
Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party, seen as close to the Left is not attending. . "We contacted him and he said he will get back to us, but he has not got back so far," Mr Yechury said.
Mr Naidu recently said, after meeting BJP president Rajnath Singh, "I am not ruling out anything." He also emphasised that he sees his rival in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress, as the bigger problem.
Parties like the Left and Samajwadi Party accuse the BJP of "divisive or communal politics."
Nitish Kumar, who ended a 17-year alliance with the BJP in June this year, now concurs. At a party meet yesterday he a launched a ferocious attack on Mr Modi and the BJP, but also denied that he was getting closer to the Congress, saying, "We will take appropriate decision at the right time."
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