New Delhi, June 02: in a major development in Delhi politics just five months ahead of the assembly elections, Janata Dal (Secular), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Lok Janshakti Party and Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP) today formed a 'Third Front' and said it would contest all the 70 seats. Claiming to have support of some Muslim organisations also, these parties said Samajwadi Party (SP) and CPI would join in too as talks are already on with SP President Mulayam Singh Yadav and CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan. The Third Front, whose coordination committee was formed today, will be launched formally at a rally on Thursday which will be addressed by leaders of all the constituents, JD-S Delhi President and MLA Shoaib Iqbal and LJP national vice president Ramvir Singh Bidhuri told a news agency. The groundwork for formation of the Third Front was done four days ago when LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan, NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar and RLD Chief Ajit Singh met here, Iqbal said.

The 'Third Front' will launch its election campaign on July one and four former Prime Ministers - V P Singh, I K Gujral, H D Deve Gowda and Chandra Shekhar -- will take part, Bidhuri said.
Claiming that the people of Delhi were yearning for the Third Front as they were "fed up with both Congress and BJP", Iqbal said, "The Front will maintain equi-distance with both these parties."

Bureau Report