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Opposition parties work towards a third force

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

With the Bharatiya Janata Party-led ruling coalition at the Centre rocked by the price hike of essential commodities, including grains, Opposition parties other than the Congress have speeded up efforts to cobble together a third force to replace the Vajpayee government.

The constituents of the erstwhile United Front today said the prime minister's decision to take back the hike in price of rice, wheat and sugar in the public distribution system had not slowed them in the least. The ruling coalition's co-ordination committee had decided to withdraw the hike in prices after agitated coalition partners threatened to pull the rug from under the government.

Now, Opposition parties, including the Congress, are moving in to capitalise on dissension within the ruling coalition.

Asked if his party considered the withdrawal of the price hike as a setback to future plans, Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet said it had not.

"Where is there a question of a setback? As you can see, this government is the victim of its own inner contradictions and by withdrawing the increase in the price rice, Vajpayee has eaten humble pie and bowed down to his allies," he said.

Asked whether the government was likely to come down, Surjeet said, "The tremors have already begun. I think it will cave it soon."

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav did not show whether or not he was disappointed that the coalition partners had stuck together. Asked what he thought about the withdrawal of the price hike, he said trouble should resurface soon in the alliance. He said there was "new enthusiasm among the non-Congress Opposition parties that were striving to come under a common banner."

Asked if a third force was on the cards, he said, "Have no doubts. We are already holding consultations. "

According to Samajwadi Party officials, there is a move to sound Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party since his deal with the BJP has done him some damage.

It is understood that senior SP leaders, including Amar Singh, are trying to work with Naidu and put together a force to reckon with. The TDP was earlier a constituent of the United Front.

SP officials also said Mulayam Singh Yadav was determined to include Laloo Prasad Yadav's RJD in the proposed third force, adding that there were indications that the Left parties would agree to the inclusion of the RJD in such an arrangement.

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