No consensus on Third Front's PM candidate

Even as eight parties launched the Third Front with much fanfare and hype, there continues to be a question mark as to who the prime ministerial candidate would be--just in case this new combination comes to power.

All the leaders that we spoke to on Thursday remained non-committal about this. However Satish Mishra, Mayawati's representative from the Bahujan Samaj Party was clear about the candidate who would become prime minister in case the Third Front came to power.

"There is no doubt that Mayawati would be the prime ministerial candidate, he said. Our main objective is to make her the prime minister and we will work towards it," the BSP number two said.

He further said that a meeting of the Third Front leaders is scheduled to be held at New Delhi on March 15 and Myawati too would take part in it.

Although Mishra was clear about the issue of a PM candidate, the rest of the leaders seemed non-commital on the issue. AB Bardhan of the Communist Party of India said, "This is not the time to discuss this. We are forming the Third Front and have launched it today. Let things fall in place and then let us discuss this issue."

Janata Dal-Secular leader, H D Kumaraswamy too sang a similar song. "We will first concentrate on strengthening the Front and then will work towards winning the elections. Only after we win the elections will we decide on who the PM candidate would be," he said.

"The Third Front would not have any problems from the Telugu Desam Party," Chandrababu Naidu made it clear that he is not in the race. Initially Naidu was seen as a potential candidate, but before the launch of the Third Front he said that he was never an aspirant and neither will aspire for the post of prime minister in future.