Chief minister Naveen Patnaik lays foundation stone of a second bridge over the Mahanadi river at Nelson Mandela Chowk in Sambalpur on Wednesday and (right) Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 29: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his Tripura counterpart and CPM veteran Manik Sarkar today sparked off fresh speculation about the emergence of a Third Front ahead of the general elections to be held later this year.

Sarkar, who was in the city in connection with the second national convention of Adivasi Adhikar Rastriya Manch, talked about the creation a united platform of non-Congress and non-BJP parties. Naveen, who was on a tour to Sambalpur district, underscored the growing importance of regional parties, saying they could provide an alternative to the country.

“People have lost faith in the national parties. Regional parties will be important and provide a strong alternative to the country,” said Naveen while addressing a public meeting in Sambalpur.

The statement assumes significance given the Odisha chief minister’s consistent policy of maintaining equi-distance from the Congress and the BJP, who lead the two major national coalitions in the country.

Naveen, who has been secretly working towards bringing like-minded leaders, including regional chieftains such as Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, however, has refrained from attacking the Left party leaders, who, too, have been wooing him.

Odisha chief minister also has friendly equations with his Bihar counterpart and JD(U) strongman Nitish Kumar, who appears open to the idea of a Third Front.

Nitish, according to sources, has been getting feelers from Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Left party leaders.

He was among the most prominent leaders to attend the rally against communalism sponsored by the Left parties in Delhi in October last year. Naveen, who heads the BJD, a regional outfit, had sent Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda to represent his party at the rally.

In this backdrop, the statement of Manik Sarkar with regard to the need for a non-Congress and non-BJP front assumes special significance.

“A united forum without the Congress and the BJP can be created,” Sarkar told reporters here on the sidelines of the convention, which was also attended by CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, who is expected to throw more light on the issue tomorrow.

Lashing out at both the Congress and the BJP, Sarkar emphasised the need for an alternative based on common policies.

“Both the parties (the Congress and the BJP) are now crying for the poor, because the general elections are approaching. But, they will forget them after assuming power. So, there is need for an alternative based on common policies to fight against these two parties,” said the Tripura chief minister.