No alliance with Third Front: SP

Indicating that its alliance with the Congress is very much on, Samajwadi Party on Tuesday ruled out any partnership with the Third Front, saying it has got no "significance".

"We are with Sonia Gandhi and will continue to remain with her. The Left leaders  are currently relying on Mayawati. They are confused. They have Mayawati in their lives right now so how can Mulayam Singh Yadav be with them," SP general secretary Amar Singh told media persons in New Delhi.

When asked whether SP could give the Third Front a thought in case Mayawati leaves it, he said, "I did not say this. An intelligent person should get the hint. When Karat and Mayawati are together then how can a question of any alliance between Third Front and SP arise?"

The SP leader said that the Left parties should decide whether they want Mayawati or Mulayam Singh Yadav. Comparing the SP-Congress alliance with the Third Front, Singh said, "Our alliance with Congress is based on long term credibility and is not an alliance of opportunism."

He added that "the Third Front does not have any significance, only popular names are there".

Attacking former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda whose Janata Dal-Secular is a constituent of the alliance, Singh said that "he has no mass base and credibility. He is sometimes with the Congress or sometimes with the Bharatiya Janata Party. In politics consistency is required, which builds credibility. This is lacking in his politics".

Amar Singh alleged the Congress was using Central Bureau of Investigation probe into

Mulayam Singh Yadav's assets to pressurise SP for more seats in UP.

"We can adjust our stand only till a certain limit," he said. However, the SP leader added that Sonia Gandhi was a senior leader with "a clear heart" and whenever she will call him and Mulayam Singh Yadav, they will meet her.

"We have no fight with her. She wanted to contest elections along with Mulayam Singh Yadav and that is why we gave them 17 seats in UP," he said.

"Our relations with Congress have only been building and there is no question of them breaking down," Singh added.

The SP leader said that due to pressure from some mediating Congress leaders, that party had named candidates on 10 of SP's sitting seats. "But such wounds are healed when the medicine of love is applied on them," he said.

"I will only request the Congress to support us as we both have to finish BJP and BSP. Even if there is no alliance, we will support Congress wherever it would appear to be on a strong footing than us. Whether it is their 'hand' or our 'cycle', the aim should be common," Amar said.