The Fourth Third Front

The first ‘third front’ formed in 1989, after Janata Dal under VP Singh led a coalition of TDP, AGP, & DMK to form the govt, supported by BJP and Left. TDP’s NT Rama Rao was made convenor of the National Front. Its end came in 1990 .Reborn as United Front in 1996 after neither BJP nor Cong had the numbers to form a govt. Brainchild of CPM’s HKS Surjeet, the UF comprised JD, SP, DMK, TMC, CPI and TDP, among others, with Chandrababu Naidu as convenor. It saw two PMs, Deve Gowda (June ‘96-April ‘97) and IK Gujral (April 1997-March 1998). United Front collapsed in 1998 Just before presidential elections in 2008, a ‘third front’ — United National Progressive Alliance — was announced by Jayalalithaa. It tried propping up APJ Abdul Kalam for a second term. Kalam opted out and AIADMK ended up voting for BJP nominee, BS Shekhawat, destroying the third alternative. 2009, Deve Gowda announces formation of a fourth ‘third front’ consisting of the CPM, CPI, JD(S), TDP, TRS, AIADMK, RSP and Forward Bloc.This Third Front will be formally launched in Tumkur on March 12.