Mulayam mocks at third front idea

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW, JUNE 2. Samajwadi Party leader, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav, today hit out at the idea of `Third Front' mooted by four former Prime Ministers as an alternative to the present ruling dispensation at the Centre.

``The Samajwadi Party had contested the last Lok Sabha elections on the issue of strengthening the Third Front. No Third Front can be a reality if it ignores the political situation of Uttar Pradesh. What kind of a Third Front with any political meaning can be created in Cochin or the Bay of Bengal?'' Mr. Yadav wondered while addressing a press conference here today.

Mr. Yadav also referred to the old-age ``infirmities'' of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Jyoti Basu, who has been projected as the leader of the Front. He doubted the intentions of some of the leaders being enthusiastic about the idea, but described the former Prime Minister, Mr. Chandra Shekhar, as a friend.

``Chandra Shekharji understands the inner meaning of the idea. That is why he had invited me to the Bhondsi Ashram meeting. I ignored the invitation as I felt my participation in the meeting would serve no purpose,'' he said.

Mr. Yadav disapproved of having the Bahujan Samaj Party as a partner of any anti-BJP front. Twice in the past the BSP had shared power with the BJP and had an alliance with the Congress(I). An anti-BJP/Congress front with such parties would be ridiculous, he said.

Giving his analysis of the Soron Assembly by-election results, the Samajwadi Party leader said it was clear that the future of both the BJP and the Congress(I) had been blocked.

About the Rashtriya Kranti Party of Mr. Kalyan Singh which won the seat, he said if the RKP made similar inroads into the support base of the BJP, the downfall of the saffron forces would come sooner.

He indicated plans to launch a strong agitation against the State Government's decision to debar students passing graduation-level examinations with less than 50 per cent marks from getting admission to postgraduate classes. ``This is a conspiracy to debar weaker sections from higher education and our party would never tolerate it,'' he said.

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