Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Mar 12: The third front, which expects to turn the country's political equations turtle and play a decisive role in the union government by emerging as a formidable force in the Lok Sabha election, will be unveiled at a mega rally being held in Tumkur district on Thursday March 12.

The third front, made up of four leftist parties in addition to AIADMK, Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Telugu Desam and JD(S), has kept alive the hopes of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayavati joining the front. Mayavati, who the political pundits believe, has lot of potential in the future, had initially shown interest in the third front, but later refused to enter into a seat-sharing formula with any of the parties. It may be noted, that her party will be contesting from all the Lok Sabha seats in UP.

There is an underlying apprehension that AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, who agreed to be a part of the alliance at the last minute, can throw a spanner in the designs of the third front, as her political behaviour in the past had been highly unpredictable. Deve Gowda however, strongly feels that he can weave together a magic formula without the support of either the NDA or the UPA. Gowda has already said that the third front will get a concrete shape only after the Lok Sabha election concludes.

Left leaders Prakash Karat, A B Bardhan, JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, ex-chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu, Chandrashekhar Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and leaders of the other third front constituents, Forward Bloc and RPI will be taking part in the rally, being held today at the sprawling 120-acre plot owned by the BPL group. Tamil Nadu e x-chief minister Jayalalithaa will be represented by Rajya Sabha member Dr Maitreyan at the rally. The venue is located on the outskirts of the city.

The third front appears to be more inclined to take the NDA head-on, as it has opted for a launch in a state being ruled by the BJP. Even in some earlier interviews, leaders of the third front, particularly the Communists, had talked of supporting the UPA government based on principles, in case an eventuality arises for the same in future.

All preparations have been put in place to hold the rally in a grand fashion. Ex-chief minister and the state JD (S) president H D Kumaraswamy has already accused transport minister R Ashok of trying to play spoilsport by ensuring that the KSRTC supplies only 2,250 buses for the rally as against 3,500 demanded by the organizers.