Friday, March 25 2005 16:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today (Mar 25, 2005) called for revival of the third front in the country, saying the people had lost faith in both the Congress and BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party).

Addressing a Samajwadi Party (SP) convention in Bangalore, the first after former Karnataka Chief Minister S Bangarappa joined it after quitting the BJP recently, Yadav said, "We have to form a third force which is equidistant from both the Congress and BJP."

Stating that no single party was able to gain majority in the Lok Sabha polls despite spending crores of Rupees, he said the SP would have emerged as a second biggest constituent in the Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance), if it had 10 additional Parliamentary seats to its tally of 37.

"People have lost faith in both Congress and BJP," he said, emphasising that this called for a third formation.

Though SP was fighting against BJP and instrumental in defeating its several leaders in Uttar Pradesh and reducing the saffron party's tally to 10 from 60 MPs, he said the Congress was accusing his party of colluding with BJP.

"While our target was to dislodge the BJP, the Congress was trying to upstage us," Yadav said.

He said SP would emerge as a formidable force in Karnataka and Bangarappa will lead the party in the Assembly elections and be its Chief Minister, if the party was voted to power.

SP general secretary Amar Singh, Jaya Bachchan and Jayaprada, both MPs, also addressed the convention held at the sprawling Palace Grounds.