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Mamata blames President for mid-term poll

Trinamul Congress president Mamata Banerjee today said President K R Narayanan did not fully explore the possibility of avoiding a mid-term election.

Releasing a copy of her letter addressed to him, Banerjee said Narayanan did not give Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee a chance to explore the possibility of forming a new government.

The President gave Congress president Sonia Gandhi and leaders of the Left parties seven days to explore the possibility of an alternative government, but then called Vajpayee and directed him to recommend dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

Banerjee said she was not making any accusation against the President, just presenting the facts.

She said the President had assured Vajpayee that he would talk to him after his dialogue with leaders of all political parties, but failed to do so.

She claimed that eight more members of Parliament had agreed to support the government, and some had even called on the President.

UNI

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