Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Left and regional parties today formally announced the launch of a “Third Front” offering an alternative to the combines spearheaded by the Congress and BJP. The front was launched at a massive rally in the town of Tumkur in the southern state of Karnataka

“This is a historic get together of all democratic, secular and Left parties in the country to declare that we are all coming together to constitute a third force in this country,” CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat said.
The meeting was also attended by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, JDS chief and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, CPI leader A B Bardhan, BSP and AIDMK leaders Satish Chandra Mishra and V Maitreyan and representatives of Forward Bloc, RSP, TRS and Bhajan Lal’s Haryana Janahith Party.
Jayalalitha (leader of Tamil Nadu state’s opposition AIADMK party) and Mayawati (Bahujan Samaj Party) were represented by their emissaries at the gathering.

The Third front was originally formed by former Prime minister and JD(S) chief Deva Gouda in Karnataka which formed a non-Congress government at the Centre in 1988. Since then it has seen many a watershed in the country’s political history.

Addressing the rally at Tumkur, Karnataka all the leaders told that they have come together to provide an alternative to the voters ahead of General Elections.