New Delhi, The BSP president and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati who has emerged as an unchallenged leader of the non-BJP non-Congress political formation would be formally joining the United National Progressive Alliance at a rally being organized by Telugu Desam Party in Ananthpur district of Andhra Pradesh next month.

An invitation to address farmers rally was extended by TDP chief and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu to Mayawati here today. The two leaders also held extensive discussion on the future of UNPA. The UNPA chairman also invited Mayawati to formally join the UNPA, which she has readily agreed.

A close confident of Naidu said she herself could make announcement of BSP becoming an ally of UNPA in the rally. The two leaders also discussed future course of action of the UNPA in northern parts of the country in the light of forthcoming assembly elections in four states, which are currently ruled by BJP and Congress.

Mayawati reportedly told Naidu about her party's plans to field candidates in all four election bound states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and hopes to get few seats in these states. The TDP chief also briefed her about the political situation in southern parts of the country particularly in Andhra Pradesh where Mayawati had few months back addressed an impressive rally in Hyderabad.

However, there seems uncertainty over the status of BSP supremo in the UNPA. According to an UNPA source she had in the last meeting that was held on the sidelines of trust vote expressed her desire to head the third political formation of the country, which was put on hold when Left leaders insisted that issues relating to leadership could be taken up at a later stage.

At least two major partners of the UNPA, TDP and RLD are not in favour of Mayawati being made chairperson of the UNPA, which is currently held by Chandrababu Naidu. The TDP chief took over charge from Mulayam Singh Yadav, who left the alliance and joined hands with Congress. The UNPA and Left leaders have hinted that Mayawati could be made second in command in the UNPA. However, her status is also expected to be made public in the Ananthpur rally. The TDP is yet to announce the date of rally. According to a TDP leader date of rally would soon be conveyed to the leaders of UNPA and Left parties.

Naidu, who had come to the capital to pay his homage to departed CPI

(M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet who passed away on Friday after a prolong illness. Before leaving for Hyderabad, Naidu also held discussion on future course of action with CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan and D Raja. He also invited the Left leaders to the Ananthpur rally. The leaders of the two major Left parties have reportedly accepted the invitation.

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