The parting of ways being a certainty, 'Mission JD(U)' seems to be the new catchword for non-NDA parties and groupings — right from the Congress, the CPM and the Trinamool Congress to the TDP — with uniting the "secular forces" being the common underlining pretext.
The Congress on Saturday signaled its intent of aligning with the JD(U) by terming it a "like-minded party which can be trusted on secularism". "Coming together of like-minded parties has happened in the past and can happen in future also," Congress spokesperson Bhakta Charan Das said. However, he denied that the Congress is holding informal parleys with JD(U) at this juncture to invite it to join the UPA.
The alliances can be formed before the lok Sabha polls and even post-elections, he added. An alliance with the JD(U) could prove much beneficial for the Congress in Bihar where it's in total disarray. Sharad Pawar’s NCP went a step further by openly inviting the JD(U) to join
the UPA. NCP spokesperson DP Tripathi said, "We welcome JD(U) to separate from the BJP and join secular forces." Asked if by secular forces he meant UPA or the proposed 'federal front' proposed by Trinamool Congress and BJD, Tripathi said, "Yes, UPA coalition. We are part of the UPA. We are not with any front. We are with UPA."
With West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee having taken the lead to work towards forging a 'federal front' by talking to her Bihar and Odisha counterparts, the left parties too have suddenly become active to attempt reviving the 'Third Front'.
A day after senior CPM leader Sitaram Yechury held a one-to-one meeting with JD (U) chief Sharad Yadav, party general secretary Prakash Karat and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu spoke to Yadav to discuss the emerging political situation. But both the parties refrained from divulging the details of deliberations.
On Friday, CPI veteran AB Bardhan and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had also held discussions in this regard. The left parties as well as the TDP and the SP have been aligning on the issue of a Third Front.