The third front of non-Congress, non-BJP parties may be a thing of the past, but not for Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. Close on the heels of his tea parties with the Congress and BJP, he has now called the other political parties over for a pre-Winter Session tete-a-tete. On November 8, a day after he returns from Japan, Chatterjee will have for tea the most unusual gathering of political parties from the UPA and the NDA. Gracing the occasion would be leaders and chief whips from CPI, CPI(M), RSP, Forward Bloc, RJD, DMK, AIADMK, NCP, Akali Dal, Janata Dal (U) and (S), Samata Party, BSP, Samajwadi Party, INLD, TRS, JMM and all other non-Congress and non-BJP parties. It would be interesting to see the numbers these parties add up to without the two big national parties. The Trinamool Congress is, probably, the only party that would not be attending the meeting. The purpose of the tea is also to ensure the smooth functioning of the Winter Session of Parliament, beginning December 1. Chatterjee is also expected to take feedback from the smaller parties and how best to aviod confrontation that cost the Budget Session so dearly.
