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The new Coalition party is involved in a three-way election race.

Recent polls placed the Parti Quebecois in the lead, while the governing Liberals were in serious danger because of poor support among francophones, who form the bulk of voters in the vast majority of Quebec ridings.

The Liberals are apparently even in trouble in Premier Jean Charest’s riding. An old foe of Charest’s is now thinking of challenging him in his riding.

Marc Bellemare tells Montreal Le Devoir he might run as an Independent in Sherbrooke, which Charest has represented in the legislature since 1998.

Bellemare is a former Charest cabinet minister who crossed swords with the premier a few years ago when he made scathing allegations that Liberal party fundraisers influenced the selection of judges.

The two men sued each other over the issue before eventually deciding to drop the legal proceedings.

But his threat has prompted some of Charest’s opponents, and media observers, to warn that such a ploy would actually backfire — and help Charest get re-elected.

One recent poll suggested Charest is already in enough trouble in Sherbrooke against Parti Quebecois candidate Serge Cardin, a longtime Bloc Quebecois MP in the riding. It suggested the premier was 15 percentage points behind.

Another candidate in the race could simply split the anti-Charest vote, some say.

Bellemare says he might not run if he is convinced Cardin can beat Charest.

He has until Saturday afternoon to confirm his candidacy.

Bellemare resigned in 2004 after the Quebec Liberals failed to make good on an election promise to kill the province’s no-fault insurance law — something he had passionately lobbied Quebec governments for since 1994.

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