Amar Singh and the Third Front!

Amar Singh has been on a PR roller coaster the past few weeks. He was all over the TV screens and Newspapers for the alleged phone taps that he claims happened at the behest of the Congress and Sonia Gandhi. While it is no secret the animosity between the the Congress and the SP, this recent spat has polarised the whole non-Congress parties to join the chorus of the Great Tap Dance!

However, in all this brouhaha over what the tapes of the phone tap may contain I think the entire media has forgotten to see a new coming together of the usual suspects of the famed third front in this whole issue. First, it was the AIADMK that came forward in support of Amar Singh, next stop was Mr. Chandarbabu Naidu, another old “Third Front”advocate. And finally, with the Left parties joining in, the front was more or less complete in presenting a united stand against the Congress. Also, what was interesting was the BJP claiming that the phones of their leaders were tapped. With such a powerful pressure group forming within the UPA with support of non-UPA political parties, the chances of a third front emerging within this year is very realistic. Maybe, this phone tap issue was being used as an acid test to check the durability of the once strong Third Front, which unfortunately for the country, gave uninspiring leaders like HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujral. So, while the whole nation laughs at Amar Singh and his “help me I am a victim“ antics their is evidence of a deeper political movement taking root. While I stand all against such a formulation because of the instability it will bring to the country, it does seem that many regional and national parties are still aspiring for a non-Congress non-BJP formulation and rule the centre.