10 Mar : JDS chief H D Deve Gowda, who is playing a significant role to cobble up a Third Front, claimed the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, which recently snapped ties with the BJP, has agreed to join the Front.
"I have spoken to (Orissa Chief Minister) Naveen Patnaik and he has agreed to join the Third Front unconditionally," Gowda told reporters at Bangalore on Tuesday.
After BJD ended its almost decade-long alliance with BJP in Orissa, Left and other partners of the ‘Third Front’ are making overtures to Patnaik to join the non-Congress non-BJP formation.
Taking a jibe at detractors of the new front, he said it was "destined" to get good support from people and emerge as a "force to reckon with" after the Lok Sabha elections.
"Wait for political developments till April 16 (the day first phase of Lok Sabha polls are held) as the country will witness a plethora of developments. Several leaders of BJP have been leaving the party," he said.
Gowda said he was not eyeing any post, while explaining his efforts for formation of a third political force in the country, and declared "let anyone become the Prime Minister".
Gowda appealed to those who are either in splinter groups of Janata Parivar or those who quit the party to return to the fold.
Gowda’s son, former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who heads the JD-S Karnataka unit, too made a similar appeal, but added "we do not want leaders who try to promote groupism and casteism".
JDS spokesman Y S V Datta said Left party leaders Prakash Karat, A B Bardhan, Chandrasekhar from TRS, TPD Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and AIDMK leader O Panneeselvam would participate in the function in Dobbasepet where the Third Front would be formally launched on 12th March.