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Point<br />
Out<br />
THIRD FRONT<br />
COVER STORY GENERAL ELECTION<br />
Sensing a strong anti-Congress sentiment<br />
in the country and the discomfort<br />
some parties have in doing<br />
business with Gujarat Chief Minister<br />
and BJP prime ministerial candidate<br />
Narendra Modi, Left parties tried to<br />
cobble a third front – a non-Congress,<br />
non-BJP alternative. As many as 11<br />
political parties attended the initial<br />
few meetings and were upbeat about<br />
the front. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister<br />
J Jayalalithaa made no secret over her<br />
ambitions about becoming the Prime<br />
Minister and so was JD (U) leader Nitish<br />
Kumar and Samajwadi Party leader<br />
(SP) Mulayam Singh Yadav. With so<br />
many PMs in waiting the front was<br />
set crash and it did so even before a<br />
takeoff. Several parties decided to go<br />
it alone during the elections and said<br />
a decision on third front will be taken<br />
after the elections are over.<br />
AAP – AGGRESSIVE AND CONFUSED<br />
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was billed as Gandhi in Amethi (UP) while Kejri is banking on the miracle and popularity<br />
the next big thing in Indian politics undecided, whether to take on Modi. of Meera Sanyal in Mumbai, Capt<br />
not long ago. Will AAP be able to come up<br />
to the expectations of the masses is something<br />
every one is interested in. But even<br />
Arvind Kejriwal, cannot answer this. Kejriwal,<br />
who led AAP to a spectacular win<br />
in Delhi assembly elections have behaved<br />
more like an opposition leader even while<br />
he was Delhi chief minister. He had his<br />
chance to bring about a change as he had<br />
pushed the Congress to an awkward position<br />
from where it would have been extremely<br />
difficult for it to have withdrawn<br />
support to AAP government. Dramatics<br />
on Delhi roads had hit credibility of Kejriwal<br />
and a large number of his supporters<br />
are questioning his motives.<br />
In any case there is no denying the fact<br />
that AAP is a strong force with a large<br />
number of dedicated support base. Will<br />
they be able to replicate their success in<br />
Delhi assembly polls to the Lok Sabha<br />
is anybody’s guess. AAP leader Kumar<br />
Vishwas as stated will take on Rahul<br />
He has toured Gujarat trying to make an<br />
impression by following Modi and even<br />
storming his official residence. AAP is<br />
MN Gopinath, V Balakrishnan, Alok<br />
Agrawal among others to win and reach a<br />
respectable tally in the Lok Sabha.<br />
30<br />
<strong>MARCH</strong> 2014
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