Third Front sans ideology not desirable: Uma Bharti

Madurai, July 5 (UNI) A 'Third Front' sans ideology was neither desirable nor acceptable, Bharatiya Jan Shakti leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti today said.

Talking to newspersons here, Ms Bharti said there should be an issue for a front to emerge and let the present initiative take shape.

According to her, a front sans ideology or a programme would be similar to the earlier attempts made by the regional parties in 1996 and then in 1998.

She said she would prefer to watch the efforts taken by AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa, TDP President Chandrababu Naidu, SP leader Mulayam Singh and others in this direction.

Her association with the Third Front does not arise at the moment, she added.

On the Presidential election, she said being a woman was not a sufficient ground to support the UPA candidate Pratibha Patil.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had a vested interest in propping up Ms Patil when there were more qualified women in the party like Meira Kumar and Margaret Alwa, Ms Bharti said.

However, she said she would not support any candidate put up by the UPA.

She alleged that Ms Gandhi had chosen Ms Patil, keeping an eye on the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

UNI