Uf Will Try Not To Join Cong Govt, Says Mulayam

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday said the United Front (UF) government would try to avoid mid-term elections and participation in the proposed Congress led coalition government at the Centre.

After an emergency meeting of the SP legislature group and the party MPs here, Yadav told reporters I see no no justification in the Congress asking UF to support them as ours is the largest group of 195 MPs.

Expressing confidence that the present political crisis would be resolved amicably after consultations with Congress leaders, he said the Congress had extended unconditional support to the UF to keep the communal forces out of power.

There is no change in the situation since then and, therefore, withdrawal of support by the Congress is unjustified, Yadav said.

Once we sit together, I am sure, we could try to resolve the crisis and the Congress would continue to extend its support to the United Front, he said.

Yadav ruled out any change in the UF leadership and said there was no difference of opinion on this count among the UF constituents. We are intact and are confident of finding a solution even before April 11 when the Lok Sabha assembles for vote of confidence, he said.

The SP chief said the Congress president, Sitaram Kesari, had spoken to him about certain complaints and problems the party had with the Front.

I apprised the Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda, about all those complaints and we are prepared to take corrective measures, Yadav said. Asked about the recent remarks Kesari had made against the Prime Minister, Yadav said such statement can be made when someone is in anger but the same can be resolved too.

We are not not engineering defections in the Congress, Yadav said in reply to a reporters question whether the UF would like a Congress faction to join the government.

You people have too many options but rest assured, the United Front government will survive, he said.

We do not not want immediate elections, but if they are forced on us, we will face the challenge, the SP chief added.