TDP to work towards building Third Front

The Telugu Desam Party said on Monday that it would work towards building the Third Front based on an alternative economic policy and predicted greater role for regional parties in shaping the future coalition governments at the Centre.

'We are in the process of consulting like-minded parties and the Left on evolving an alternative, pro-poor economic policy, which will form the basis for forging Third Front', a political resolution adopted at the party's annual delegates' convention, Mahanadu, said.

The resolution, moved by the TDP Parliamentary Party Leader K Yerran Naidu, said the recent poll outcome in Uttar Pradesh was a clear indication of the growing strength of regional parties and erosion of support base of Congress and BJP.

'The corrupt Congress and communal BJP are fast losing public support. At this juncture, there is a need to build an alternative force with an inclusive economic policy forming the main agenda', the resolution said.

Speaking about the resolution, the party chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who had played a key role in formation of United Front and NDA coalitions in the past, said his party would take the initiative in forging the Third Front by roping in like-minded regional parties and the Left.

He said his party would carry forward the ideals espoused by the TDP founder late N T Rama Rao who was instrumental in forging National Front as an alternative to Congress.

Pointing out that stocks of both Congress and BJP were on the decline across the country, Naidu said, "None of them has any chance of leading the next government."

Accusing the UPA government of all-round failure, he said the people were yearning for a genuine alternative that was committed to the welfare of the poor.

The resolution, passed on the concluding day of the three-day party conclave, said that Congress was set to lose Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra assembly elections and would be 'reduced to a level of a regional party by 2009'.

The UPA government, it said, was encountering stiff resistance from its partners. While Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Samajwadi Party quit the coalition, the left parties were always on confrontation course against the anti-poor policies of the UPA, it said.

Dubbing Manmohan Singh as the 'weakest prime minister', the TDP said that the three-year of UPA rule had only diluted the power and position of the prime minister.

'Sonia Gandhi is wielding the remote control that controls Dr Singh. Sonia has turned into an extra-constitutional authority', the 16-page resolution in Telugu said.

Naidu attacked the UPA for failing to fulfill promises made in the CMP and said the agriculture sector was in a deep crisis as reflected by continued suicides by farmers and falling food grain production while the prices of essential commodities were sky-rocketing.

More than 12,000 delegates attended the meeting at the Nehru High School grounds, rechristened as 'NTR Pranganam', in which the party delegates deliberated on the challenges ahead for the party which is bracing up for the 2009 assembly elections.