*Third front a reality or farce*? The election is at least year away or may be advanced, as the situation is very fluid. In 1996 the Congress made the third front to keep BJP at bay .Congress is the largest party with proven secular credentials. But there was instability between 1996-1998 with Govt. changing hands with A.B Vajpayee, Deve Gouda , I.K Gujral before the curtains were drawn and new elections ushered
The third front or the National front is proposed by the State parties, conglomerates of disparate elements of different ideologies. The common glue binding them temporarily is hatred towards National parties that is Congress and animosity of mistrust against the BJP. Voters are fed up with both; The results in recent elections in Karnataka are quite upsetting for the BJP, whose presence in the south has been demolished like a pack of cards. The bone of contention is Indian federalism which is loaded against the states and favours the centre in resource distribution. The regional parties therefore want to assert themselves in matters of fiscal policy. The corruption in UPA II and the communal tag of BJP is equally disgusting. The chariot puller of BJP, Narendra Modi has already upset the 19 years of cooperation with JD(U), which is threatening to walk out of NDA sooner than later, The protest seem s to be against an individual only. However deep fissures have developed within the BJP itself over coronation of Modi. The allies of UPAII have also walked out DMK and TMC It appears therefore that there is no alternative other than the third front., How long such an loose arrangement will last due to mutual hatred is anybody’s guess. It sure appears a dream and nightmare of instability The TMC, ADMK, JD(U) Naven Patnaik, BJD, BSP and others have a strong regional foothold and National or state elections will have no impact on their fortunes . In fact the BJD has maintained equidistant from both the National parties and this ideology has earned the party good dividends in Orissa .Either the Congress or the BJP are likely to secure largest number of seats, The third front by itself will not have the numbers to form Govt, Hence any bizarre coalition will dictate the choice of partnership. Political opportunism will sure be the bargaining chip, even though it may be an exercise in futility. It `s sure is a fictional reality. There are multiple, inherent contradictions within the third front. It will be business as usual to get into the seat of power, then explaining rationality of not plunging the Nation into other elections of uncertainty and economic chaos. Hung parliament is most likely scenario, in which National front seems plausible The instability between 1996 to 1998 is unlikely to come to fore now; The coalition then was a new, novel experiment of survival under compulsions, however untenable and short lived it was. The coalition dharma and management has evolved over the period with the UPAII and NDA also with sufficient finesse, several times The situations are not comparable between then and now. Congress will support non NDA secular Govt, or it will attract such parties into its fold as they are against association with BJP or NDA .There is a wave of doing away with the arrogance of National parties and scoffing at the idea of third or National front may not be best reaction Nelson Lopes Chinchinim
