Friday, January 13 2006 14:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Describing the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA)Government as 'directionless and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asenmeshed in 'internal contradictions', Rashtriya Lok Dal Chief Ajit Singh today (Jan 13,2006)foresaw re-emergence of Third Front in the near future with 'growing influence' of smaller regional parties at the Centre.

The 66-year old U S-educated computer software specialist and former Union Minister said the era of one-party rule has come to an end. With increasing regional aspirations, representatives of smaller parties would find it necessary to get to a common platform.

"I think there is no improvement in the position of two national parties Congress and BJP. That is why the influence of smaller regional parties will increase in the days to come. There is likelihood that they will join hands together at the national level," Singh said when asked about possibility of realignment of forces at national level.

In a wide-ranging interview with sources, Singh, son of former Prime Minister Charan Singh, and a prominent Jat leader, held that while the image of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is 'clean', his Government 'lacks cohesiveness and is running without any proper direction'.

Accusing the BJP of repeatedly raising 'emotive issue' for petty political gains, he said people were no longer swayed by such tactics.

"They have lost ground in Uttar Padesh and elsewhere mainly because of their internal contradictions and bitter infighting", Singh said.

Singh's RLD is a coalition partner of ruling Samajwadi party headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh having 15 MLAs. Like the SP, RLD is an outside supporter of the UPA coalition. RLD has three Lok Sabha members.

The six time Lok Sabha MP suggested that both the ruling and the opposition side should be represented by secular forces so that the issues faced by people could be debated meaningfully and addressed accordingly.

"Our effort should be that both, the ruling and opposition benches be represented by secular forces to facilitate comprehensive debates on issues confronted by the people in the country", he said, adding the BJP has failed to emerge from 'communalism and non-communalism'.

Expressing serious concern over 'criminalisation of politics', the dominant Jat leaderr from Western Uttar Pradesh suggested constitution of 'Fast Track Courts for trial of people with criminal background within six months' and if found guilty should be forced to resign their seat.

"Even President of India, Election Commission and Supreme Court have expressed serious concern on this. No political party is in a position to deny tickets to mafias and those with criminal links/backgrounds. There should a fast track courts to try such people within six month", he said.

He was of the view that if found guilty they should be forced to resign immediately after the Fast Tracks ruling but wanted that its parametres should be decided by the judiciary.

Further suggesting that such person should be free to appeal, he said normally what was happening today was that cases continue for years and such law-breakers continue to enjoy power by misusing the system.