Hyderabad, June 12: A national front of parties spearheading movement for smaller states would be formed soon to influence the post-poll scenario and achieve the goal of new states like Telangana, Harit Pradesh and Vidarbha. "We will announce launch of the new front in Delhi very shortly and a rally of the front is being planned at Nagpur", president of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is the brain behind the idea, said here today.

The proposed front will fight next year's Lok Sabha elections under a single umbrella. It would initially comprise parties espousing the statehood cause of Vidarbha, Harit Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Poorvanchal and Telangana.

Rao, a former TDP minister, had quit as deputy speaker two years ago to launch movement demanding separate statehood for Telangana.

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh and Lok Janasakti president Ram Vilas Paswan would be the other two key players in the front, which will put up a joint fight in next year's Lok Sabha polls. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has also thrown his weight behind the move, he claimed.

"The five regions (Vidarbha, Harit Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Poorvanchal and Telangana) witnessing movement for statehood account for 100 Lok Sabha seats. Even if we can win 50 per cent of the seats, we will be in a key position to bargain," said Rao, a friend-turned-foe of TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Bureau Report