Third Front the 'biggest mirage' of Indian politics: Congress

New Delhi (PTI): Terming the Third Front as the "biggest mirage" of Indian politics, the Congress on Thursday said whenever the grouping has resurrected, it has only helped the communal forces.

"Third front is the biggest mirage of Indian politics. This is such a ghost which appears every time in two or three years and then disappears", party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters here.

The comments by the Congress came within hours after the Left and non-Congress and non-BJP parties launched the 'third force' at Tumkur in Karnataka, claiming they have come together to provide a "new alternative" to the voters ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"Whenever the political parties, which call themselves the Third Front come together, it only benefits the communal forces," Mr. Tewari said.

"From 1998 onwards, there has been polarisation between the secular and communal forces. The reason is the failure of the Third Front government from 1996 to 1998," the Congress leader said.

According to him, Third Front is nothing but only a conglomeration of regional parties.