Mayawati for prime minister? Wait, says Third Front

The Third Front so ambitiously and grandly announced to the world on Thursday, faced its first crisis just the day after. Who is going to be its candidate for the top job? And the answer the constituents came up with was: anyone with the numbers. Thus, the Third Front shied away from speculation that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati was bargaining hard to be declared its candidate. Vikas Pathak & Zia Haq report.

The Third Front believes that the issue of its prime ministerial candidate will be settled only after the polls.

"The issue of a prime ministerial candidate is not one to be discussed before the polls,” Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Prakash Karat told Hindustan Times. Communist Party of India leader D Raja echoed the view.

Thus, the Third Front shied away from speculation that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati was bargaining hard to be declared its candidate. Janata Dal (Secular) leader Danish Ali said: “She is not even our pre-poll ally, and yet she sent her representative (to a Third Front rally earlier this week), a positive gesture.” This, despite her fielding candidates across the country to clash with Front constituents.

"It is good for her to go ahead with her candidates, otherwise all her hard work over the last few years will go waste,” said sociologist Vivek Kumar.

HT Image

Despite this, Third Front candidates are willing to do business with the BSP because numbers are crucial for them. Without Mayawati, the Front may not stand a realistic chance to make a bid for power.