Will the Third Force re-emerge?
Will the Third Force re-emerge?
In the coming election the dominant space will be occupied by the BJP and the Congress. The Third Force will have a space, but I think it will not have a larger space than the BJP or the Congress. So, it will have to work out its strategy.
Is the main fight between Congress and the BJP?
Not every where. In Andhra Pradesh the fight will be between the TDP (and the Congress). In MP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra it will be between the BJP and Congress. In the final analysis, the Front won’t have more numbers than the Congress and the BJP this time. But this will add to its experience, and later consolidation can be done.
After the polls?
Historically, being in the Opposition is also important. A large section of people don’t want either the Congress or the BJP. The idea of equidistance from Congress and the BJP has its roots among the people. Therefore, there is a possibility of consolidation. And the Left will play a major rol e as the rallying point of the Front .
Is secularism no longer an adhesive to keep these parties together?
The answer is yes and no. The secularism was strong enough to pull down the BJP government, but not strong enough to form an alternative government.
Where does the concept of the Third Front stand?
It will depend on the perception of the people and also on the hold that the regional parties will have in the elections. In UP, of course, the SP will be there and in some areas the BSP, apart from the Congress and the BJP. The BSP will have some share in Madhya Pradesh, UP and Haryana, et cetera, but I don’t know how many seats they will win.
The Third Front is fragmented today. Isn’t it a failure of the secular parties?
Secularism as a concept is not a failure. Electoral ups and downs do not affect the idea. Secularism is the ethos of the people. Even a person who doesn’t vote can be secular. The idea cannot be appropriated by a political party.
Do you feel minority and OBC aspirations are grounded ?
You have confined the whole historical process to the elections. The real transfer of power is taking place to the deprived who never had a share in it. More people from the deprived sections are coming to the panchayat, assemblies and Parliament. Just because a party levels itself to belong to or represent a certain section of the people, does not reflect the whole historical process.
Tags