Jaya inclined towards Third Front: SP leader

Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa has shown an "inclination" to be part of efforts to form a Third Front, Samajwadi Party's Chief Whip in Rajya Sabha, Udhay Pratap Singh, said here on Wednesday.

"Jayalalithaa has shown an inclination. She has accepted the need for a Third Front and her party is likely to be one of the components," he told reporters after inaugurating a party office here.

Singh and the party's Maharashtra unit chief Abu Asim Azmi said Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and the Left parties were already supporting moves for the formation of a Third Front.

"We feel that people are tired of UPA and NDA and are looking for a change. In order to make the Third Front, we are trying to talk to all like-minded parties and in this way, we are also spreading our party base (outside UP)," they said.

On the 'office of profit' issue, Singh said the resignation of Sonia Gandhi was not a sacrifice.

"She is claiming that injustice has been done to her. It is Congress which has actually done injustice to others. Out of 44 MPs connected with the issue, they selectively named Amar Singh and Jaya Bachchan," Singh said adding that Bachchan would be elected as MP.

According to Singh, the outcome of upcoming polls in five states would have an impact at the Centre and changes could be expected, particularly because in three of the five states - West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, UPA constituents were pitted against each other.

Asked whether MPs were wasting time in Parliament by creating a ruckus on the 'office of profit' issue, Singh said he agreed there were more vital issues to be discussed and debated, but "if somebody attacks us, we have the right to defend ourselves".

Singh and Asmi also criticised the proposed Yatra by BJP leader LK Advani.

"After the end of one such yatra, the Babri Masjid was demolished. Communalism is a curse to the country. It adversely affects progress and secular fabric of the nation," Singh said.

Earlier, the party's Tamil Nadu chief M Gopalakrishnan said the party was discussing about which constituencies it proposed to contest.

The Samajwadi party wanted to put up candidates in at least 50 seats, he said.