UPA is very much intact: Pranab

Rejecting claims that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was disintegrating, senior Congress leader and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said it “was very much intact” and did not rule out seeking Left support after the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a press conference here, Mukherjee said: “UPA is not a political entity and it is very much intact... It is not disintegrating.”

Instead, he claimed that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was breaking apart.

“I am not an astrologer. I cannot predict what is going to happen after May 16. In the realm of politics, everything is possible,” he told reporters at the AICC headquarters, when asked whether the Congress would seek the support of Left parties after the Lok Sabha elections.

He said UPA is not a political party but a government entity in which all constituents were present, except those of the PMK like Anbumani Ramadoss and R Velu.

Taking a dig at the Third Front, he said it was a grouping of political parties in search of a prime minister.

Mukherjee downplayed Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu Prasad forming a secular alliance, expressing confidence that they were with the UPA. Noting that the three leaders had given indications of supporting the UPA, he likened their coming together to football players going to different teams during the playing season.

“Why should I be upset if Lalu, Mulayam, Paswan come together. At the time of elections, there are various permutations and combinations,” Mukherjee said, adding that in the present situation, this alignment will be helpful to the Congress.

Mukherjee, who is opposing the Left parties on his home turf of West Bengal, took a dim view of the Third Front, an initiative spearheaded by the CPI-M and its allies. “At the time of elections, there are various permutations and combinations. It is a sign of vibrant democracy, but whether they will earn the trust of the people, I see no reason,” he said.