UAE - KCR, Mamata, Pawar, Thackeray Inch Closer To Third Front

By Rahil Nora Chopra

The political buzz around the formation of a third front is back. While talk of a third front has been recurrent, the key difference this time is that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has met his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in separate meetings in Mumbai. The meetings gather significance as they are seen as Rao's efforts to forge an Opposition front of like-minded parties to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 general elections. KCR, as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief is popularly known, has been quite firm and vocal in his attacks on the ruling BJP and especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recent times. Rao said Thackeray and he agreed that a political climate change was much needed in the country.“All should co-exist in harmony,” he said. Shiv Sena chief Thackeray, in a veiled attack on the BJP, added that the present day“politics of revenge” was neither“Hindutva nor Indian culture”, and that the situation needed to change. However, while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao have been trying to stitch together an alliance of regional parties, the DMK has made it clear that it is committed to opposing the BJP only in alliance with the Congress. Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president H D Deve Gowda had recently called up Rao and extended support to the latter's fight. Meanwhile, Congress has welcomed the steps taken by KCR, but said there cannot be an anti-BJP front without the Congress.

NUMBER GAME: AKALIS, BJP MULL COSYING UP AGAIN IN PUNJAB

While the political observers are favouring the Congress or AAP to form the next government in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has warmed up to former ally BJP for a possible post-poll alliance to form a coalition government, if the numbers allow. The two were allies for more than 20 years before parting ways in 2020 over farm laws. Sources in both the parties believed that there is a strong chance that if SAD gets a respectable number of seats and the BJP hits double digits, then both might again to alliance to form a collation government. Reportedly, a sign of breakthrough in reviving the old alliance came when the saffron party's top leadership met Sikh religious leaders. Home Minister Amit Shah had also met Akal Takht Jathedar Harpreet Singh and also Radha Soami Satsang Beas chief Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon. A few days ago, PM Modi had met Dhillon in Delhi.

TO SOOTHE TOP BRASS, CM BOMMAI FALLS BACK ON HARDLINE HINDUTVA

After pushing through an anti-conversion bill, the Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai has showed off his hardcore Hindutva side once again. CM Bommai has announced Tungabhadra Aarti which will be along the lines of Ganga Aarti. He has laid foundation stone for the construction of 108 yoga mantapas which is part of the Tungabhadra Aarti project at Harihara in Devangere district. The Chief Minister has promised to develop the area as a top-class pilgrim and tourist centre, in a move to please the party's hardline Hindu vote-bank ahead of Assembly elections next year. Meanwhile, the BJP is unhappy over defeat in by-elections and local body polls, including in Bommai's own constituency, Hanagal in Haveri district. The defeat in the local body polls has caused concern among party leaders for the upcoming Assembly polls in 2023. Furthermore, the resentment of several state ministers and MLAs against the CM has intensified the cloud of worries. Insiders note that the central leadership is not happy over the performance of CM Bommai. However, since the BJP is busy in the elections of the five states, the decision in this regard could be taken once the polls conclude.

ODISHA'S CONGRESS CHIEF SAYS NO RETIREMENT YET

Once the five state assembly election results are declared in days to come, there is a chance that Congress leadership may go for a change of guard in Odisha. There has been constant demand from a section of party leaders for the replacement of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik with a young and more dynamic leader. Patnaik had reportedly submitted his resignation after the Congress defeat in the 2019 election but the resignation was not accepted by the Congress high command. 74-year-old Patnaik has ruled out taking 'sanyas' (retirement) from active politics in the near future. He made it clear that irrespective of him contesting in elections or holding any formal post, he would continue to remain in politics to serve the people of Odisha.

RAHUL LANDS IN UP FOR CAMPAIGN, VISITS FORMER SEAT AMETHI

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand and made several trips to Punjab, but, significantly enough, had refrained from campaigning in the first four phases of the election in Uttar Pradesh. Finally, Gandhi took to traveling to the political hotbed of UP for campaigning. His visited Varanasi but that was mainly to pay obeisance at Guru Ravidas temple with an eye on Punjab. He travelled to Prayagraj and Amethi, his old Lok Sabha seat on 25 February. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday hailed the Rajasthan government's decision to implement the old pension scheme, saying her party is fully dedicated to the interests of government employees. In a major announcement in its budget, Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government decided to implement the old pension scheme from next fiscal for all employees appointed on or after January 1, 2004. Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot on Wednesday presented the Budget for the year 2022-23, with the main focus on sectors like health, education, infrastructure, social security and tourism. (IPA Service)

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