Leaders of Samajwadi Party, SP, Janata Dal United (JDU), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal Secular, JDS, are meeting in New Delhi today.

The meeting at SP chief Mulayam Singh's residence is being attended by JDU chief Sharad Yadav, RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav and JD(S) Chief and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. The luncheon meeting is seen as an effort by the Opposition parties to show unity and remain politically relevant after receiving drubbing in Lok Sabha polls.

It comes weeks before the winter session of Parliament beginning later this month. However, what makes today's meeting different from several other attempts of stitching together a Third Front of non-Congress and non-BJP parties, is the absence of the Left parties.

Our Correspondent reports, Sharad Yadav is said to have been instrumental in bringing together the parties for the meeting. In by-elections held in Bihar recently, JD(U) managed to keep an aggressive BJP in check by joining hands with Lalu Prasad and Congress.