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Chandra Shekhar ready to lead Third Front

Former prime minister Chandra Shekhar has said he was prepared to join the Third Front provided he was given leadership of it.

Fielding questions at a media conference, he said he was certain that he was not going to be given the leadership because of the persons now associated with it.

The man, once referred to as the 'Young Turk' in Indian politics, said after 30 years in Parliament he was sad and disillusioned that India with its enormous capabilities was losing out its rightful place in the world through political mismanagement.

He said he did not wish to comment on the present government but it was divisive and leading the country into obscurantism and was certainly pursuing policies far removed from the ideals of swadeshi it professed.

Chandra Shekhar was particularly critical of plans by Defence Minister George Fernandes to 'restructure' the defence forces. ''I don't know what they mean by restructuring,'' he said.

The former prime minister said any attempt to change the present structure of the defence forces -- whether to give it more civilian powers -- could only be undertaken after detailed discussions.

He said India should urgently take measures to improve relations with its neighbours, particularly those in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation region, as one way of reducing military expenditure and reliance on the armed forces.

This would also greatly improve regional trade and industry and bring greater security in the region, he added.

UNI

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