NEW DELHI: The Ruling United Front will have one more front as it’s Constituent. This is the federal front ‘comprising all the regional part is. This was announced by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and president of the Telugu Desam Party Chandrababu Naidu at a Press conference here last week. He said the Front will have strength of 58 in the Lok Sabha and would have the Asom Gana Parishad, the Tamil Maanila Congress and the DMK, in addition to the TDP.
‘Mr. Naidu said the decision to form the federal front was taken at a meeting of the regional parties held here last week to decide on their participation in the proposed United Front Government. Replying to questions, Mr, Naidhu said that all the constituents of the Federal Front would also be the constituents. The United Front comprises the National Front, the Left Front and the regional parries. Mr. Naidu said the regional parties felt that the states had more or less similar problems and the federal front would look after such problems. He said the front would be part and parcel of the United Front and would work on the basis of a common minimum, program.
Soon after his arrival at Karantaka Bhawan, Mr. Gowda had a brief meeting lasting about 15 minutes with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N, Chandrababu Naidu who called on him. The two leaders then drove down to Tamil Nadu House to meet DMK president M. Kanananidhi’s. They were joined by TMC leader G.K. Moopanar and Assam Chief Minister P.K, Mahanta.
Earlier, Mr. Mahanta had said the decision of his party was to support the Government from outside, Mr. Deve Gowda is to be swom in along with his Cabinet by President S.D. Sharma.
Emerging from a 90minute meeting of the regional party leaders at the Tamil Nadu House, Mr. Maran indicated that the decision need not be collective since the Asom Gana Parishad was bound by their party resolution against joining the Government. “It is not clear whether the AGP chief could revoke the decision all by himself,” Mr. Maran told news. Persons, after a decision in the matter, the regional party leaders will proceed to Andhra Pradesh Bhavan to convey their decision to the United Front’s steering Committees.
The conclave was attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Mr. Murasoli Maran (DMK), Mr.G.K. Moopanar (TMC), Mr Prafulla Kumar Mohanta (AGP), Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu and Mr. Ashok Gajapathiraju (TD),
Meanwhile, convener of the Andhra Pradesh Congress committee of MPs, P. Upendra, has said the unconditional support of the Congress to the United Front, would continue as long as it (UF) does not deviate from the basic policies and reforms initiated by the Congress.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 5, 1996
