UNPA would only remain a dream:Venkaiah

Chennai, Aug 4 (UNI) Senior BJP leader - Venkaiah Naidu today claimed that the proposed Third Front, this time christened as United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), would not become a reality.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Naidu, who was answering a question whether the BJP was angry with its erstwhile ally AIADMK for not supporting the NDA- backed independent candidate Bhairon Singh Shekawat, however, softpedalled the issue.

''The BJP is not upset. AIADMK is an independent party now. The decision is their own.'' He, however, pointed out that the UNPA would not succeed in emerging as a viable Third Front. ''We have seen what happened to earlier attempts like National Front and the United Front, which were also touted as Thrid Front,'' he charged.

The formation of the UNPA, at best, would only make the Congress happy, he observed.

Mr Naidu said if the all the non-Congress parties supported Bhairon Singh Shekawat, it would have helped.

He also pointed out that the NDA had agreed to rally behind former President A P J Abdul Kalam when UNPA proposed his name.

But they did not reciprocate to our candidate when Kalam decided not to go for a second term, he added.

Mr Naidu also criticised the Shiv Sena for supporting Pratibha Patel, the UPA candidate, contending that she was a Maharashtrian.

''But in the last Vice-Presidential elections, they did not support Sushilkumar Shinde who was also from Maharashtra'', Mr Naidu charged.

UNI