New Delhi, Sharp differences have come up within the Left Front over the issue of projecting BSP chief Mayawati as third front's Prime Ministerial candidate with two allies RSP and Forward Bloc opposing the move reminding the CPI (M) that Left are struggle-based parties.

The Forward Bloc is more vocal than RSP on the projection of Mayawati. The party has said it is opposed to projecting an individual as Prime Minister in waiting as it goes against the basic principles of the Communist ideology. The RSP has also lamented both the CPI (M) and CPI for the manner in which the top leaders of these two parties went to Mayawati's residence on the eve of trust vote and presented her before the people as next Prime Minister. It also criticized the CPI (M), the flag-bearer of the Left Front for not taking them into confidence.

According to Forward Bloc leader Abani Roy, the party is holding its conference in Lucknow later this month where it would pass a resolution against projecting any individual. He also accused two major Left parties of adopting big brother attitude towards the smaller parties in the front. The RSP and Forward Bloc are already at loggerhead with the CPI (M) in West Bengal.

Though the two smaller parties have not yet threatened to walk out of the Left Front, they are not averse of taking such a step if they are continued to be ignored on the issues confronting national politics.

The views expressed by the RSP and Forward Bloc has sent ripples in the CPI (M) and CPI. The CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat is reported to have held telephonic talk with Abani Roy of Forward Bloc and Devbrat Biswas of RSP and explained them the circumstances under which he projected Mayawati. The issue is expected to figure in the next meeting of the coordination committee of the four Left parties.

Meanwhile, the efforts by the leaders of the UNPA and Left parties to form a third alternative to both the UPA and the NDA has suffered a set back as Mayawati has announced to contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. She has refused to offer seats to Ajit Singh and any other ally of the yet to come up third front.

Following the stand taken by Mayawati, many of the smaller parties, which were earlier inclined to join the third formation, are now knocking the doors of Congress and the BJP. The JD (S) chief and former Prime Minister H D Devewoda has described the formation of third front as a non-entity. He was non-committal on participating in any such move even after Karat and Bardhan, the two top Left leaders held two-hour long meeting with him on Thursday at his residence.

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