There are assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh next year i.e. in 2027. Here the contest is often between two major parties (Congress and BJP). But now before the elections, there is talk of forming another party i.e. Third Front. Former BJP minister Dr. Ram Lal Markanda has made this claim. He has said that there is a possibility of forming a new party before the 2027 assembly elections. This is the same Markanda, who was expelled from the party by BJP in the year 2024. He has said that he is meeting the leaders of both Congress and BJP parties who are feeling marginalized and under pressure in the party. He said that a new party can be started in March-April next year.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Markanda said that we were waiting for the results of the Panchayat elections. Now we will start talks again with senior leaders. Ram Lal Markanda, former MLA of Lahaul-Spiti region, claims that many big leaders and workers of both BJP and Congress parties keep coming to power one by one, but they do not get respect and place in the party. They feel suffocated. Therefore, there is a need for a new party, which respects senior leaders and works for the welfare of the common people. Markanda was expelled from the party by BDP because he had contested the 2024 assembly by-elections from Lahaul and Spiti as an independent candidate.
What are the leaders of both the parties saying on the third front?
The reaction of the leaders of both BJP and Congress parties has come to light regarding Markanda’s talk of Third Front. A senior Congress leader said that the party should be launched as soon as possible so that leaders get time to do preliminary work in their respective assembly constituencies and serious leaders can be included. He said that forming the party at the last moment and giving tickets to the candidates who did not get tickets from BJP-Congress has not proved effective in the past. At the same time, another senior BJP leader said that talks are going on and we are considering all possibilities.
Third Front was never successful in Himachal
Let us tell you that the discussion of Third Front in Himachal is not a new thing. Even before this, attempts have been made several times to form a third party. Whenever a third party has been formed in Himachal politics, it has not been able to last long. Such parties are often formed by rebel leaders of Congress or BJP, hence as soon as they get a chance, they go back to their old parties.
In this matter, CM Sukhu believes that a third front has been formed many times in the past. There has always been a possibility of this in the state. The formation of a new party will not harm Congress but BJP because it is already struggling with factionalism. Markanda claims that CM Sukhu wants to sideline the leaders of former Congress CM Virbhadra Singh’s faction from politics on the pretext of this new party. Overall, the discussion of forming a third front in Himachal has started a tussle between the main parties.
When was the third front formed in Himachal?
- In 1997, when Congress expelled Sukhram from the party, he formed a new party named Himachal Vikas Congress. This party won 5 seats in the 1998 assembly elections. But after the crushing defeat in the 2003 elections, this party again merged with the Congress.
- At the same time, in 2012, some rebel leaders of BJP formed Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) under the leadership of Maheshwar Singh of the old royal family of Kullu. This party won only 1 seat and later joined BJP again. Maheshwar Singh had earlier been the state president of BJP.
- Congress rebel leader and former minister Vijay Singh Mankotia joined the Janata Dal party before the 1990 elections. Janata Dal formed an alliance with BJP in that election and won 11 seats but later 9 of these MLAs returned to Congress.
- In 1970, Thakur Sen Negi had formed a party named Lok Raj Party. In the 1972 elections, this party could win only 2 seats. Later Negi joined Congress before the 1977 elections.
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