Pawar's idea of third front, a matter of concern for Congress?

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has asserted the need for a third front and said he is in touch with other parties. This can be a threat for the Congress Party as its own allies appear to agree to make the opposition stronger.

New Delhi: While the Congress party has been struggling over its leadership crisis for a very long time, other opposition parties have started looking for alternatives to lead their fight against the ruling BJP. This becomes evident after NCP supremo Sharad Pawar asserted the need for a third front and he is in touch with other parties. This can be a threat for Congress as it's own allies are also agreeing to the proposal to make the opposition strong.

On Tuesday, ex-Congressman PC Chacko joined NCP where he asserted that it is time when Sharad Pawar should lead the opposition. During the media briefing, Pawar stated that Sitaram Yechury had also advocated for the same. Earlier, Shiv Sena, who is in ally with Congress in Maharashtra, had suggested that in order to make the opposition stronger, Pawar should lead. When asked about the matter, Kerala Congress Incharge Tariq Anwar said, "The entire country knows about the history of the third front. Even the idea of the third or fourth front is wrong."

In his address, Pawar had asserted that any Democratic party should support TMC in view of the attacks made by Central leadership over Mamata Banerjee just ahead of the Assembly polls. He also mentioned that many leaders have already talked to him for an alternative front and they are seriously considering it. In a quest to push back BJP in West Bengal elections, a lot of regional heavyweights and prominent faces, including RJD and NCP are extending their support to TMC. However, there are some leaders in the Congress party who are concerned about the matter, believing that it may affect the party's performance in Assembly Elections.

In view of this, Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya wrote a letter to both NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and RJD's Tejaswi Yadav, against their campaigning for TMC in West Bengal. "It is learnt that you have agreed to come to West Bengal for campaigning as star campaigners for the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state for the ensuing West Bengal legislative Assembly Election, 2021," he stated. The letter further added, "However, in West Bengal the Indian National Congress is fighting a political battle against the ruling Trinamool Congress in your presence as star campaigner will create confusion among the common voters of West Bengal."

After joining NCP, Chacko expressed the need for unity in opposition, while claiming that the initiative for the same was absent in Congress. During his resignation, he had also put allegations of factionalism in Congress and had said that even the leadership is ignoring the issue. To this, Tariq Anwar replied, "This is not true. Party tried its best to take all of its people altogether. We also held many rounds of talks with him. But it is not possible that everything will be done as per his choice. A political party works only on a consensus."

A senior leader and prominent face in Kerala, Chacko had resigned from Congress just before the Assembly polls, while making allegations of factionalism and groupism in the grand old party. However, Tariq Anwar did not see any harm to the party by this move. He said, "There is no loss for Congress. Every person has the rights to make his own decisions. He has done the same. Congress is like a sea, if some drops leave, it won't affect."