Clear picture on Third Front in 2 days
When it comes to politics, he does not care for his age or health condition.
Bangalore: When it comes to politics, he does not care for his age or health condition. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda is now busy with activities for moulding the Third Front in national politics, which is yet to take proper shape.
The JD(S) supremo said a clear picture would emerge around January 15, when Left parties would be able to bring most regional parties under one umbrella. More interestingly, he hinted at the possibility of Aam Admi Party (AAP) becoming a part of the third force.
According to Gowda, national parties like the Congress and BJP survive only in absence of local alternatives, which are present in most states in the country. Excerpts from Gowda's interview:
In the run up to the Parliament elections, what is the role of regional parties?
Regional parties are coming under a single umbrella, a clear picture will emerge around January 15. This time, Congress and BJP will not be spared. Unlike earlier years, except for the JD(S) and Left parties, other regional parties have the resources to fight the elections.
So far, the Third Front has not gained momentum among the people and in the media as the alternative is yet to be projected. Once the alternative is projected, it will have a snowballing effect.
But the election is being highlighted as a fight between Modi and Rahul Gandhi?
The nation needs an alternative to vote for. It was demonstrated by that ‘young boy’ (Arvind Kejriwal) in Delhi within a span of just one year. The Congress was routed and even BJP, with all its hype, fell behind him.
Both parties tried hard to malign and destroy him by mooting an investigation into his funding sources and even saying that he and Anna Hazare were not on talking terms. Despite these bottlenecks, people came out and voted for him.
In MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, BJP came to power since people rejected the Congress. They did not have an alternative. The Congress had announced benefits like free rice, power and farmer loans even in these states, but it did not work.
So, Congress and BJP can survive only in places where there is no alternative. All political forces, which are an alternative to Congress and BJP, will come together during the parliamentary elections.
In the Parliament election, national parties can take advantage of national issues?
Every state has its own leadership as well as problems. All national issues are issues for regional parties also. Inflation, poverty, unemployment, national security are the main issues for national parties. Are they not our issues? The country has not mortgaged issues and power to just the two national parties.
Apart from these issues, every state has its own local issues like river, border disputes, formation of new states and so on. Along with national issues, regional issues are also addressed by regional parties.
They are all mature leaders and don't need to learn politics from Congress and BJP. Even we have put in 50 years in politics, regional leaders can handle the so called national issues also.
There seem to be coordination issues in some states, dominated by regional parties over supporting the Third Front
There is nothing like that. In UP, you will be talking about SP and BSP. When Left parties withdrew their support to the UPA government at the Centre over the nuclear issue, both parties saved the government. When it comes to the national scenario, things change. This is true for states like Bihar, West Bengal and other states also.
Even Sharad Pawar (NCP chief) has said that his alliance with Congress was limited to Maharashtra. What stand he would take when it comes to the national level, we have to wait and watch. Left parties are bringing everyone under one umbrella, there is no doubt about it.
There seem to be too many PM aspirants in the Third Front, even before it has taken shape?
It is a wrong perception. At the moment, there may be many capable people, including Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ms J. Jayalalithaa or even Nitish Kumar, who aspire to become PM. However, the coalition partners will declare the Prime Ministerial candidate.
What is the role of JD(S) in the entire exercise?
At the national level, I will be with the Left parties. In the state, JD(S) has its own vote share and nobody can shatter it. Everyone talks about the two by-elections, where we lost seats to the Congress.
However, our vote share was intact in the two Lok Sabha constituencies. Since BJP withdrew and tactfully supported Congress, we lost. In this parliamentary election, all the three parties have to contest.
Now, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is banking heavily on the backward classes. This time, it will boomerang on him.