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No RLM-Congress tie-up for assembly poll

The Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha has decided to contest the assembly poll next month on its own, and ruled out the possibility of initiating any move for a tie-up with the Congress.

The Morcha will finalise its poll strategy for Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram within the next ten days.

Top leaders of the Morcha who met in New Delhi on Wednesday, also saw no contradiction in their concept of the third front vis-a-vis similar attempts by the Left parties.

RLM spokesperson Amar Singh parried repeated queries about a possible pre-election tie-up with the Congress. ''We will contest only those seats where prospects of the Morcha candidates are bright''.

Asked about the possibility of a division of ''secular votes'' if the Morcha and the Congress failed to strike an electoral deal, Singh said the RLM alone was not responsible for such a split and other parties should also think about that.

Singh said the Morcha would lend support to the Congress only in its endeavour to dislodge the A B Vajpayee government at the Centre.

To another question, Singh claimed the Congress was not concerned about secular votes in Uttar Pradesh where the party had no base left and the SP was waging a lone battle against the BJP.

The Morcha also announced its support to moves for the formation of a third front to take on the BJP, and asserted that the Morcha had already initiated the process by roping in secular forces.

According to informed sources, allies in the proposed front are likely to meet in the capital on October 17 to discuss modalities in its formation.

Singh said the front leaders were of the unanimous opinion that the third front should be strengthened and steps be stepped up to consolidate anti-communal forces.

Wednesday's meeting was attended by front president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Party leader Shankersinh Vaghela, RLM convener and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Ranjan Yadav, and Amar Singh.

To a specific question about the CPI-M's moves for the third front, Singh said the RLM had already started the process and the Morcha was conceived with that aim.

''We see no contradictions in our and left front efforts,'' Singh said, observing that unity in diversity is the basic theme of ''political sangam.''

About a recent booklet brought out by the BJP on the situation in Bihar, Singh said the Morcha would soon come out with a white paper on the ill-governance of the BJP-led coalition and anarchy in BJP- ruled states and Delhi.

The Morcha also decided to send a delegation of MPs led by Vaghela to probe cases of atrocities on minorities in Gujarat.

UNI

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