Third Front proves to be a non-starter

A motley group ��� the self-confessed Third Front ��� cobbled up by roping in as many as 19 political outfits for the BMC polls is having some starting problems ��� a vertical split is staring it in its face. Cracks have surfaced between two major constituents of the Front, the Republican Party of India (RPI-A) headed by Ramdas Athavle, and the Bhartiya Republican Party Bahujan Mahasangh (BRPBS) led by Prakash Ambedkar.

Mr Ambedkar has come out with a list of 150 candidates for as many civic wards, leaving the remaining 77 BMC seats for rest of the Third Front partners. Mr Athavle, however, claimed on Wednesday that the RPI was stronger than Ambedkar���s party in at least 90 of these 150 seats.

A final meeting to sort out the differences had been convened on Thursday, Mr Athavle said. The possibility of a united Third Front contesting the elections is as good as zero if no solution is hammered out at this meeting, sources said. Most of the Third Front constituents are already at loggerheads with each other, with a total of 272 nominations filed by them for 227 BMC wards. Friday is the deadline for withdrawal of nominations.