No room for third front

Amaravati: The unscheduled meeting between DMK treasurer Duraimurugan and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at his camp office in Undavalli on Tuesday and a statement by DMK president MK Stalin that there is no place for third front at national level after May 23 has become the topic of political debate in the state.

This sudden meeting assumed political significance as DMK has refused to support the TRS' proposed Federal Front. The DMK leader, who had come with his family, refused to speak to waiting media persons after the meeting.

The TDP too termed it as private meeting. But it is learnt that Murugan briefed Naidu about the deliberations that took place between KCR and Stalin on Monday.

It is also learnt that during the 25 minutes meeting between the two leaders, the issue of role of regional parties at national level had also come up for discussion.

Stalin, it is said, is not interested in a third front. He feels that in the past such an experiment had failed on two occasions.

Hence, he has been more inclined towards the efforts of Naidu to stitch an alliance either led by Congress or supported by Congress.

It may be mentioned here that Naidu has over the past few months been engaged in a one-upmanship with Rao over their roles in national politics.

The TDP chief has been claiming he was the one who brought non-BJP parties onto a single platform at the national level. They are also understood to have discussed about the measures that need to be taken after May 23.

On the other hand, Rao has been seeking the support of regional parties to forge a Federal Front that doesn't have either the BJP or the Congress.

Interestingly, the two political groupings have not yet taken shape even as the two chief ministers are still toiling to put the pieces together.

In this backdrop, the DMK treasurer's meeting with the TDP

president generated political interest.