The Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's decision to vote in the Presidential election has created a division in the recently-formed Third Front, a development similar to the one that occurred before the 2002 poll.
At that time, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav had come out in support of A P J Abdul Kalam for the top job that had led to the collapse of the People's Front, consisting of the Left parties and SP, which had vowed to maintain equidistance with the BJP and the Congress.
Yadav, at that time, was in the forefront of those favouring Kalam's candidature which was lapped up by Telugu Desam Party, a key outside supported of the then BJP-led NDA coalition.
The 'missile man', who played a key role in the 1998 Pokhran II nuclear tests, was also agreeable to the BJP and the Congress had extended support to him later.
This led to the Left putting up Lakshmi Sehgal as its candidate in what was clearly a lost battle.
In the current election the Third Front, called the United National Progressive Alliance, only last week decided to abstain from the voting on the plea that they want to maintain equidistance.
But, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa changed her party's decision at the last minute, creating fissures in the alliance of eight regional parties.
Her state ally MDMK also broke ranks with the Third Front when its MPs And MLAs voted in the election.
The National Conference, which was warming up to the UNPA, also sided with the UPA-Left.
UNPA had said that the National Conference would soon be a part of the Third Front.
NC leader Farooq Abdullah also voted in the Presidential poll.
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