Pranab terms Third Front a contradiction

In a stinging attack on the Third Front launched by eight regional parties early this week,senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday pointed out the inherent contradictions in this newly launched political conglomerate drawing an analogy with Holy Roman Empire,a collection of regions and free cities in Central Europe during the Middle Ages that were ruled by an elected emperor and which did not include Rome.

It was neither Holy nor Roman nor an Empire. I dont understand why this nomenclature (of Third Front), he told reporters at the Congress headquarters,adding that he could understand a conglomeration of political parties to fight election together. Questioning the nomenclature,he said,Which was the first front and the second front?

But to form the Government,it must have a mission and a common programme. If the programme is to have somebody as Prime Minister,it is a different issue. It is like placing the cart before the horse, said the External Affairs Minister,stating that the Congress had run the Government on its own for 45 years.

The Janata Party,which had formed the Government in 1977,was a conglomeration of political parties which fought election on a single symbol. At other times whenever there was a non-Congress Government,it was either the Congress or the BJP backing the Government. There is nothing wrong in projecting a Prime Minister,but that must be backed by the fact that they have to contest a large number of seats to get a majority, said Mukherjee.