Jayalalithaa dials Mamata: new front in the making?

Kolkata: The Third Front is developing cracks. The Federal Front is still only a proposal. But now is there a new front in the making? A front with women leaders in the forefront? That's the buzz after news that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha spoke to her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on phone.

Ms Banerjee and Jayalalithaa are not known to be telephone buddies. But today, they spoke. Ms Jayalalithaa called Ms Banerjee a day after the West Bengal Chief Minister said she was fine with the former as PM.

Ms Banerjee has also thrown in the name of Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati in her list of likes.

Ms Banerjee's move is well-timed, and has come just after Jayalalithaa cold-shouldered CPM's Prakash Karat over a seat-sharing deal for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Her own Federal Front is yet to take off; the Third Front is still together, even if minus Jayalalithaa.

But Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is not turning a hair. He told NDTV, "The Third Front is a non-Congress, non-BJP front and it will be the strongest front. Some little cracks can happen. But when we met to form the Third Front, we jointly declared a commitment to some basic principles. It will be a programme based front or alliance. It will run a programme based government."

D Raja of the CPI is also optimistic. "Mamata calls it tired front. Modi says it's not strong. But then why are they talking about it? Because they are worried. Whether you call it third front or combine...think there is a need for an alternative to the Congress and the BJP," he said.

In the Trinamool, many are preening that Ms Banerjee will be power behind the throne. "South and East - their coming together, their conversation is a big thing. There was only talk of the two national parties. But now a Federal Front is coming into shape. This is very significant," Trinamool MP Sultan Ahmed said.

Footballer-turned-Trinamool MP Prasun Banerjee added, "Mamata holds the key to whoever becomes next PM."

But others are surprised. Didn't Mamata want to be PM? Especially after her January 30 rally. And Anna Hazare who is backing her for the top job? At the rally, more than one supporter had backed Ms Banerjee for PM and she had not demurred.
"Mamata is the best PM candidate," author Mahasweta Devi had said from the dais with Mamata sitting by her side.

For Ms Jayalalithaa, Ms Banerjee's support is a win-win. And Mamata is a realist. Many potential Federal Front partners are in the Third Front. So may as well seek new allies. Even at the temporary cost of her own  ambitions. If not queen, at least queenmaker.