Bangalore, Mar 2 : Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief Deve Gowda on Monday announced the formation of a Third Front, an alliance of eight parties, including the Left.

The Front will be launched formally in Tumkur, 50 kilometers from Bangalore, on March 12.

The parties, supporting Deve Gowda are: Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), Forward Bloc, Republican Party of India (RPI), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Janata Dal Secular (JDS).

Gowda said the agenda of the new outfit would be unveiled at the March 12 rally.

The JDS supreme blamed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for failing to protect the interests of the people.

“Certain sensitive issues like the inter-state river water dispute sharing and reservation will not be touched and will be left to respective states,” he added.

He refused to divulge the name of the front’s prime ministerial candidate.

“There was no discussion in the Front on who would be its prime ministerial candidate,” he said.

Gowda, however, has no objection to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s claim to the Prime Minister’s post.

“CPM leader Prakash Karat has met Mayawati several times and tried to convince her to join the Third Front. She has decided to fight alone. It does not mean that she will not support the Third Front after elections,” he added. (ANI)