Third front is a certainty: Naidu

The efforts to form a new front at the national level are gaining momentum. All regional parties are in touch with each other and TDP too will play a prominent role in the efforts to forge a third front, said TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu.

Talking to The Hans India in the Assembly lounge, he said that he was in touch with the leaders of all the regional parties including the Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and others. He said the proposal was still at an initial stage and it would be premature to say whether there will be pre-poll or post-poll arrangements. In the past we had experimented with both post-poll and pre-poll alliances depending upon the situation

Naidu said the fact is that national parties whether it be the UPA or the NDA were on decline and the importance of ruling parties was gaining ground. All regional parties will come together and will provide an alternative to UPA and NDA. "All that I can say at this point of time is that the TDP will be part of the new front and the proposed front will form the government at the Centre," he added.

Asked if he had spoken to AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa, he said he did not speak to here yet. "The proposal is still at a nascent stage and one after another I am talking to all leaders," Naidu said. Recalling his past experience in 1996 when the TDP had played a major role in forming the United Front, he said, "Mark my words the regional parties will hold the sway after 2014 elections.

"The TDP will be part of the new front and the proposed front will form the government at the Centre,"