The much talked about Third Front would be launched in Karnataka on March 12 with a rally in Tumkur, 50 km from Bangaluru, Gowda said. The announcement came shortly before the schedules for the general elections were announced in New Delhi [Images].

Leaders of eight political outfits who have agreed to be part of the Third Front � the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Forward Bloc, the Republican Party of India, the Telugu Desam Party, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the All-Inida Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the JDS -- will take part in the rally, Gowda said.

Gowda, who took a lead role in giving shape to the formation of the Third Front, which his political opponents BJP and Congress ridiculed as a "mirage", said the agenda of the new outfit would be unveiled at the rally.

There was no discussion in the Third Front "as of now" on who would be its prime ministerial candidate nor any decision taken in support of Uttar Pradesh [Images] Chief Minister Mayawati [Images] for the post, Gowda said.

"The proposed Third Front would formulate alternative programmes to overcome several crises created by the United Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance, Gowda said and clarified that "Certain sensitive issues like disputes of inter-state river water sharing and reservations will not be touched and will be left to respective states".

State unit leaders of the Left parties were present when Gowda made the announcement.