Chandrababu Naidu meets Karat

Renewed efforts to give a final shape to a national alternative to Congress and BJP began with TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu meeting CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said.

Renewed efforts to give a final shape to a national alternative to Congress and BJP began today with TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu meeting CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat here.

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The leaders are understood to have discussed the emerging political scenario in the backdrop of BSP chief Mayawati unilaterally announcing that her party would contest all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

They expressed hope that the 'third alternative' will take shape by this month end after all the ten parties of the grouping hold meeting among themselves.

"By this month-end, everything will be clear," Sitaram Yechury told reporters after the one-hour-long meeting Naidu had with Karat at the CPI(M) headquarters.

Yechury said discussions were on to give a final shape to the grouping. "The programme, policies and other issues will be clear soon," he added.

Naidu will be holding parleys with Mayawati later and thereafter there will be a joint meeting of all the parties to finalise the programme.

Asked about RLD's displeasure over Mayawati's announcement, Yechury said all those issues will be discussed.

Naidu said during his meeting with Karat, they discussed about how to work out the programme for the new front.

Earlier this week, former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda held discussions with Left leaders Karat, A B Bardhan and D Raja, and RLD chief Ajit Singh.

He also had telephonic discussions with BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra and Naidu.