Former premier VP Singh clings on to third front dream

Vishwanath Pratap Singh said there?s a distinct possibility of a third front assuming power in New Delhi.

Former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh said there’s a distinct possibility of a third front assuming power in New Delhi. Addressing a public meeting here on Tuesday evening, Singh said since the alliances led by the BJP and the Congress may not be able to capture enough seats to form the government, an alliance of secular and Left parties could step in.

HT Image

“If the two parties (the Congress and the BJP) fail to get enough seats, there’ll be a lot of confusion and the smaller parties could then break away and join the third front to ensure a just, stable, pro-people, pro-poor and secular government,” he said.

“But in case that does not happen, we’ll support the Congress in its efforts to form the government. Our main objective is to stop the BJP from coming to power once again. At the same time, we don’t agree with the Congress’ economic and industrial policies and, hence, would like to form the government ourselves,” said Singh.

Singh lambasted the BJP for sowing the seeds of communalism in the country. “The effects of the BJP’s communal policies are being felt all over the country. Gujarat was the worst example. I was there and was appalled at what happened. It was state-sponsored genocide and not communal riots. Gujarat will remain a blot on the face of this nation. We have to ensure such incidents do not recur in future and the only way to do so is to oust the BJP from power, he said asking the voters to cast their votes judiciously keeping the nation’s interests in mind.

Lashing out at the economic policies of the NDA government, he said, “The NDA government’s policies have widened the gap between the rich and the poor. The rich are happy and looking at them, the BJP feels the whole country is happy. But the BJP is blind to what’s happening to the majority of the people and, like Nero, is singing that India is shining. This party will never understand the nation’s problems.”