'Third Front' will emerge, says Bardhan

Communist Party of India National General Secretary A B Bardhan on Tuesday claimed that a 'Third Front', as a viable alternative to the United Progressive Alliance and Nationalist Democratic Alliance, would emerge with like-minded Left parties and some pro-poor regional parties coming together.

"The Left parties have been ideologically together even as some pro-poor regional parties will have to come together to be part of the Third Force to crusade for the rights of the poor, farmers and labourers," Bardhan told the inaugural public rally of the CPI's 21st party Congress in Patna.

The formation of the Third Front would take place Bardhan told reporters later, but did not name the regional parties.

The CPI leader claimed that his party would establish itself as a major national party by raising public issues, like poverty and labour.

Bardhan also claimed that there was of poverty, backwardness and lack of industrial development in Bihar and said that though there was some progress during NDA rule headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, much more was needed.

He said crime against women, train dacoities and other crimes were taking place even today and the state government's claim of a turnaround was exaggerated.

The CPI leader took a dig at Kumar for his long association with BJP and asked him to reconsider his decision to continue the alliance with the saffron party.

He urged Kumar to showcase concern for the landless and poor by expediting allotment of four decimal land for them and asked him to release the figure of land allotted by his government to such people till date.

Other senior CPI leaders like S. Sudhakar Reddy, Atul Kumar Anjan, Amarjeet Kaur also spoke.