The political buzz around the formation of a third front is revived once again. While talk of a third front has been recurrent, the key change this time is that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao succeeded in getting top politicians from three regional parties, including three chief ministers, to share a stage with him at a public meeting in Khammam. Samajwadi Party president and Uttar Pradesh former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, CPI National Secretary D Raja, and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in front of massive audience. KCR has been strategically working on a non-Congress and non BJP alliance of regional parties. In the past KCR had held a consecutive series of meetings with leaders of various political parties.
CPI(M) and the Congress have alliance together in Tripura to take on the BJP. Discussions are already underway between CPI(M) and Congress to chalk out a seat sharing agreement while Trinamool Congress has announced that it will contest alone. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is expected to launch the party’s election campaign in the state later this month. Whereas, on the other hand ‘Tipra Motha’, a newly floated tribal party that swept the autonomous district council polls within months of its formation, led by Tripura royal family scion and former Congress leader Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, is expected to play a crucial role.
After good response to Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi in Western UP in particular and rest of the country in general, UP Congress Committee has announced Hath Se Hath Jodo Yatra all over the state from 26 January. The ‘Hath se Hath Jodo Yatra’ will have yatras organised at village level, conferences at district level and rallies at the state level. Senior Congress leader disclosed that Hath Jodo Yatra would prepare foundation for second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra by Rahul Gandhi who promised to cover more constituencies in the state. Congress leaders are well-aware that minorities, Dalits and farmers have been looking towards Congress provided the leadership is able to convince them.