Samajwadi Party favours Congress-led, UF-supported government
The Samajwadi Party today favoured the formation
of a Congress-led government with the support of the United Front,
but made it clear that the SP would not jeopardise the
Front's unity.
After the party's parliamentary party meeting which elected
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav as its leader in the Lok Sabha,
party general secretary Amar Singh told journalists that the SP
was ready for any sacrifice to keep the BJP away from power.
He said the SP would strengthen the Front and exuded
confidence that the UF would take a united stand on the issue of
forming a government at the Centre.
Singh said UF convener N Chandrababu Naidu was
in touch with other Front leaders and accused the BJP of launching a
disinformation campaign that Naidu's Telugu Desam Party was going with the BJP and its
allies.
According to him, Naidu is coming to Delhi on Friday and the
UF core committee would decide the crucial issue.
Singh said the SP was ready for all options -- to sit in
the Opposition, to support the Congress government or join a coalition
with the Congress.
The SP's stand to keep the UF together assumes significance
in the wake of speculation that the BJP might wean away TDP MPs.
Singh said the SP would participate in the UF core committee
meeting to evolve a joint strategy on the current political
situation.
The SP leader accused the BJP of claiming the people's mandate,
and said the BJP and its allies had fought the election on
different poll promises and manifestos.
On one hand the BJP is talking of morality, on the other it was
joining hands with the Haryana Lok Dal-Rashtriya of Om Prakash
Chautala against which it had supported the Haryana Vikas Party of
Bansi Lal.
The SP's national executive also reviewed the party's
poll performance, and discussed future strategy to make the outfit
stronger.
Singh said the BJP governments in UP and Maharashtra had
played administrative tricks to ensure the defeat of at least half a
dozen candidates of the party.
He said some UF constituents treated the SP as its main
enemy in the polls rather than training guns on the BJP, but "we
have decided to forget all differences with UF partners".
UNI
Elections '98
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