Shimla, March 11 Former Himachal Pradesh minister Ram Lal Markanda said on Wednesday that he has been meeting leaders across the state to gauge their views amid speculation about the formation of a third political front ahead of the 2027 assembly polls.
With around 21 months left for the elections, Markanda said he is exploring the possibility of forming a new political front against the dominant parties, the Congress and the BJP, in the state's largely two-party system.
Markanda, who was expelled from the BJP after contesting the 2024 Assembly bypoll from Lahaul and Spiti as an Independent, said he has already met leaders in Kullu, Bilaspur, Mandi and Hamirpur districts and plans to meet leaders of the remaining districts as well.
"I have met leaders from different parties, and if we get suitable winning candidates, a new party will be registered, and a manifesto will be released," he said.
"We will take a final decision after visiting all districts and assessing whether willing and winning candidates are available," he added.
The former minister did not disclose the names of the leaders who met him, but sources said most of them are former MLAs.
Earlier, a series of closed-door meetings involving disgruntled leaders, including former MPs and MLAs, had taken place. A meeting held in Kullu district last week was attended by more than 20 leaders, sources said.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said earlier in the day that the BJP in the state is divided into five factions and the possibility of a third front has always existed.
"A third front had been formed several times in the past, and the possibility of a third front in the state has always existed," the CM said.
The emergence of the third front was not a new development, and this experiment has been repeated many times, but it remained a passing phase and failed to stand as a strong third pillar.
Earlier, former speaker Thakur Sen Negi formed the Lok Raj Party in February 1967. Ahead of the 1990 assembly polls, Janta Dal, led by former minister Vijay Singh Mankotia, emerged as the third front and allied with the BJP.
After expulsion from Congress in 1997, former Union communication minister Sukhram formed the Himachal Vikas Congress. In 2012, BJP dissidents led by the scion of Kullu and former state BJP president Maheshwar Singh formed the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP).