By IANS
Hyderabad : Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalitha Wednesday announced the formation of a new eight-party front in Indian politics, as a viable alternative to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance.
Jayalalitha told reporters here that the grouping would consist of her AIADMK, Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), MDMK, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Kerala Congress and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM).
She made the announcement after a meeting of the leaders of seven of the parties and said the Kerala Congress had sent a letter agreeing to join the front.
Those who attended the meeting at TDP chief and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's residence were Jayalalitha, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh (Samajwadi party), Babulal Marandi (JVM), Vaiko (MDMK), Brindavan Goswami (AGP) and Om Prakash Chautala (INLD).
Of these, Jayalalitha, Naidu, Mulayam Singh, Marandi and Chautala are all former chief ministers.
Jayalalitha said more parties would join the front during the next meeting, to be held in Chennai later this month, but declined to name them. The meeting will chalk out the front's strategy for the ensuing presidential and vice-presidential elections.
"It is a front of secular parties interested in secular parties," she said. When asked whether the Left parties would be invited to joint the front, she said it depends on the Left parties. "Our front is open for all secular parties interested in national building," she said.
"All the leaders who were present here today had very wide-ranging and fruitful discussions on several issues of national importance. We have all resolved to firmly oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal which, we feel, is totally detrimental to India's interests," said Jayalalitha after the three-hour long meeting.
"We have also discussed new economic policy which has to be taken up and implemented by the central government. Very recently, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has admitted that even though India's growth rate has been quite impressive, yet real benefits have not reached the common man.
"In this context, we are constrained to point out that we are extremely concerned and distressed at the all-round increase in prices of all essential commodities ever since this UPA government took over the reins of administration at the centre," Jayalalithaa pointed out.
The conclave, the second after the April 23 meeting at Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, has attracted participation from two more parties – JVM and MDMK – compared to the earlier meeting.